FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
last update January 4, 2003
What is this course about?
This course is an introduction to software development.
Computer programming is one aspect of software development, but there are
other aspects that are just as important. Three of these are a systematic
approach to problem solving, systematic software testing, careful and structured
use of English.
I have no previous experience in programming or software development. Am
I going to be OK in this course?
You've come to the right place! This course requires
no previous background in programming or software development. We do assume
you have some basic skills in
using a computer: some use of a word
processor, some experience using an Internet browser, and so on.
You are in good company. Generally, at least 50% of the students in
this class have had no experience. Most of them have done well; you can,
too!
HELP! This course uses UNIX. I am clueless about UNIX!
You've come to the right place! You're in good company -- very few students
in this class know UNIX. No problem -- that's part of what you learn here!
Is this a "filter course" designed to weed out students?
Absolutely not! Our goal in this course is that
every student should succeed here, and we are here to help you do
so.
Is this a difficult course?
It's not intended to be difficult. Any course, in
any subject, is easier for some students than for others.
Does this course have a heavy workload?
CSci 53 is not intended to be a very heavy course.
On the other hand, technical courses like this usually require somewhat
more of your time than liberal-arts "reading" courses. For every in-class
hour in this course, you should expect to spend 2-3 hours outside of class.
Including 3 hour of lecture and 2 hours of lab each week, that’s 10 ? 15
hours of work outside of class each week.
You must plan on doing roughly
this amount of work every week!
How is grading done?
Your semester grade will be calculated as follows:
-
Lecture attendance and reading quizzes 10%
-
Laboratory assignments 10%
-
Midterm Exam 1 10%
-
Midterm Exam 2 10%
-
Final Exam 25%
-
Software Projects 35%
-
Total 100%
Do you grade "on a curve"?
Sort of. I keep grade records strictly "by the numbers";
at the end of the semester, I compute a final average for each student.
I then assign a grade that represents my experienced judgment as to how
much you got out of the course. I have no predetermined cutoff points for
A's, B's, C's, etc. If every student does well, every student gets a high
grade. I do not give D's. A student who cannot earn a C- or better in 53
is simply not prepared to proceed to 133, and should therefore repeat 53.
Therefore I will give such a student an F.
Readings, Lectures,
and Labs
Do I have to do the readings?
The textbook and other handouts are an
integral part of the course,
not
just background material. You are expected to come to class prepared; you
must read each week's assigned material
before you come to lab and lecture
on Tuesday.
What about the reading quizzes?
There will be several short, unannounced reading
quizzes. Expect one a week. They will cover information from that week’s
reading assignment. They will be very short and are not comprehension based.
The idea is to assess whether or not students are reading the book. Part
of this introductory class is to help students with their study skills.
Reading before lecture often helps students understand the material. Even
if you do not understand the information the first time around, the second
or third time it should become more clear. Reading quizzes will also be
the way I take attendance, so even if you haven’t read, put your name on
a quiz and I will know you were here.
Do I have to go to lecture?
GW university policy is that class attendance
is required. You are expected to be there; you cannot do well in this
course if you skip class. Lectures and reading quizzes together count 10%
of your grade. Some days attendance is taken even if there is no quiz;
other days it isn't. There is, in general, no "excused absence"; you are
there or you are not. If you must miss a lecture, you are still responsible
for all work covered.
Do I have to go to lab?
Lab work counts 10% of your grade. Each week's lab
session will require you to do a small assignment that helps you learn
that week's material. If you go to the lab and work productively on the
assignment, you get credit for that lab; if you don't, you don't. If you
miss a lab, you can make up the work on your own time, but you cannot get
credit for the lab unless you are physically there. It is OK if you occasionally
go to a different section of the lab (space permitting), but then
you must make sure the lab instructor knows you are there!
What if I miss a lecture or lab, and therefore don't get a copy of a handout?
Each handout will be distributed in class
once.
All
handouts are on the class web site,
http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~csci53/spring03.
If you miss a handout -- or lose one -- just visit the web site and get
a copy there.
Do you give out lecture notes or post them on the web?
Only sometimes; don't count on it. Occasionally,
lecture notes will be posted on the class website.
Tell me about examinations, please.
There will be two one-hour midterms and a two-hour
final exam, both strictly timed. These will be open-book, open-notes exams.
If you are coming to class regularly, and keeping up with the reading and
the projects, you should not need to "cram" for the exams. Exams will require
a mixture of reading and interpreting short program segments, writing short
program segments, and short "essay" questions. If you do poorly in one
of the midterms, you may
choose to replace its grade with your grade
on the final exam. Since you must, however, make this choice
before
the final exam, you are risking a "double or nothing" result--this grade
will stand even if it hurts your final grade.
Software Projects
What about these software projects?
I will assign a project roughly every week, which
will be due the following week. Each project will build on the work done
in previous projects, so it is in your interest to keep up with the project
work. There will probably be 8 projects.
Each project will be graded on a 0-20 point basis. An incomplete submission
is better than none; you will get credit where credit is due. I will accept
late projects, subject to a "late fee" of 4 points per week of lateness.
Each project is due at the start of the class on the due date; projects
submitted after the lecture has begun will be counted as one week late.
Is there extra credit?
Yes. The extra cedit assignment is designed to help you gain perspecive
on your academic life and does not require any programming. It is worth
up to 10 project points and will be due on the day of the second midterm.
Do you drop the lowest project grade?
I will eliminate the lowest project grade for each
student, under the following conditions:
-
The project was turned in no more than 4 weeks late
-
The project would have earned at least 5 points (25% of the total
grade for the project) before any late fees were assessed
The idea behind this is that you cannot simply skip
a project. You must make some effort, and in a timely fashion. I will not
drop any grades from the last two projects. These projects tend to be larger
and more complicated, and are critical to your successfully learning the
material of this course. It is important that they you do them.
Can I work with a friend on the projects?
Projects must represent the results of your own
work. I cannot prevent your speaking with friends to sketch out a solution.
But if you collaborate on the detailed design or coding, or copy a program
from an acquaintance, and then submit the results as your own work, I will
charge you with plagiarism, and I will win. Please read the handout on
Plagiarism
and Collaboration, which spells out the course rules for getting help
from others.
If you ever have any question about whether you’re following
the rules, ASK meor your lab instructor. Do not guess! Do not rely on other
students'opinions!
It is also essential to read Academic
Integrity in Computer Science and the GW
Code of Academic Integrity.
How do I get help with projects?
The lab instructors and I are ready, willing,
and able to help you.Speak to us after class or at our office hours.
We will also help you by e-mail; we try to answer promptly.
If you have trouble interpreting compiler messages in your listing (.lis)
file, you are not alone! The compiler has its own way of communicating
with you, and this will seem strange at first. For help in understanding
the compiler's messages, send the .lis file by e-mail to me or
your lab instructor. Here's how:
We assume the .lis file is in your hobbes account, because
that's where the compiler put it. Suppose the file is called project1.lis.
E-mail the file by typing
elm mfeldman <project1.lis
Do not forget the < symbol!
DO NOT USE PINE TO SEND IT! DO NOT SEND "ATTACHMENTS"! We get too much
mail to deal with these. The listing must be immediately legible in the
e-mail note.
SEND THE ENTIRE FILE, not just the part with the error message! Cutting
and pasting parts of a listing will maker it much harder for us to help,
as we need to see all your code, not just a small piece of it.
Using a home computer
in the course
I have my own computer. Can I use it in this course?
Yes, but the main location of all the programs you
will need is on the SEASCF server called "hobbes". The best way
to use your computer is as a terminal, to log into hobbes over the Internet,
just as we do in the labs.
How do I get to hobbes from my home computer?
First, read the web page at http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~seascf/access/remote.shtml,
which discusses how to make your basic connection from GW or an off-campus
location. Once you can connect, you need a program that proves a "secure
shell client" (SSH2) on hobbes.
If you have a Mac running System X, the Terminal tool
supports SSH2 so you just need to start that program and type
ssh hobbes.seas.gwu.edu
If you have a Mac running System 9, see Prof. Feldman.
If you have a Windows computer, you can download a free SSH2 client
from ftp://ftp.ssh.com. This is the same
program used in the lab PCs to get to hobbes. Once you install the program,
you can connect to hobbes.seas.gwu.edu.
Withdrawals and Incompletes
At GW, an incomplete is completely different from a withdrawal,
so it is important that you read the next two questions carefully.
How do I withdraw from the course?
Under University and SEAS regulations, here are
the rules for withdrawing from courses:
-
During the first four weeks: you can withdraw using a simple Drop/Add
(Registration Transaction) form. The course disappears from your transcript.
-
After four weeks but before Preregistration begins: you can withdraw
using a simple Drop/Add but the grade W appears on your transcript. This
has no effect on your grade-point average.
-
After Preregistration begins but before the end of classes: this
is considered a "late withdrawal." You must complete a SEAS Late Withdrawal
form, which requires the signatures of the instructor, your advisor, the
CS Department Chair, and the SEAS Associate Dean. I will always
sign a late withdrawal form, as long as classes have not ended for the
semester. I will not sign a withdrawal form after the last class!
-
Columbian College Students: Please note that the Columbian College
has a very strict withdrawal deadline which may fall before the SEAS one.
The Columbian College does not let students withdraw from classes after
this deadline. Please be aware.
Do you give Incompletes?
Under University regulations, and my own policies,
here are the rules for Incomplete grades:
-
A grade of I (Incomplete) may be assigned only when the student
has really special circumstances such that (s)he cannot finish the
work of the course. I follow the University regulations, and do not give
Incompletes unless the situation is truly unusual. Do not ask for
an Incomplete just to gain more time to finish projects or raise a low
grade. I will almost always say no.
An Incomplete grade is undesirable. Under
GW rules, you are
required to remove the I by completing the work
of the course. Taking the course a second time does not
(NOT!) remove
the original I. Under SEAS rules, an Incomplete not removed within one
year becomes an F.
At GW, an Incomplete is not the same as a withdrawal!
Finally...
I’m having trouble in this course. Where can I go for help?
There are many people interested in helping you succeed in this course.
Please see your lab TAs and me for help. If you need help beyond what we
are giving you, contact Brendan Lynch (blynch@gwu.edu) in Tompkins Hall.
He is in charge of SEAS Student Support and he would be happy to help find
a tutor.
I am the director and lecturer in this course; I am also the advisor
of the 2002 entering class; I am very devoted to undergraduates and will
do my best to give you any help you need. You can trust me to keep your
situation confidential. If you still feel you can't discuss it with me,
the CS department chair, Prof. Dianne Martin (who's also the lecturer in
CSci 41) is a good next stop for you.
Remember, my objective, and the objective of this department, is that
our students should succeed!
