Syllabus

in Fall 2020

Outlining course information, expectations, and responsibilities for this semester PDF

Welcome to Basic Robotics & Coding, an introduction to the fundamentals of computer programming. Students design, write, and debug computer programs. No prior knowledge of programming is assumed.

 Details
When:Saturdays, 9:00 - 12:00PM
Where:Join our Google Classroom with code hynvdx7
Instructor:Rebecca Ramnauth
Office Hours:Monday - Thursday, 9:00 – 12:00PM by appointment
Email:rebecca.ramnauth@yale.edu

Objectives & Organization

Problem-solving, algorithmic design, and implementation using the C++ programming language are presented. Topics include fundamental data types and associated array types, I/O processing, conditional and loop constructs, use and implementation of functions. A brief overview of structures is given. Throughout the course, good programming styles and sound program construction are emphasized.

The general sequence of topics is as follows:

1. Introduction to Languages and C++     8. Pointers 
2. Variables / Assignments               9. Streams 
3. Branches                             10. Inheritance 
4. Loops                                11. Recursion 
5. Arrays / Vectors                     12. Exceptions 
6. User-Defined Functions               13. Templates 
7. Objects and Classes                  14. Additional Material 
                                            (e.g., containers, searching/sorting)

Performance Indicators

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

PI 1. Understand and use the basic programming constructs of C++ 
PI 2. Manipulate various C++ data types (e.g., arrays, strings, and pointers) 
PI 3. Isolate and fix common errors in C++ programs using best debugging practices 
PI 4. Use memory appropriately, including proper allocation/deallocation procedures 
PI 5. Apply object-oriented approaches to software problems in C++ 
PI 6. Write small-scale C++ programs using the above skills 
PI 7. Demonstrate clean and manageable code practices, including documentation 
PI 8. Work effectively with team-oriented programming (e.g., Agile, pair-programming) 
PI 9. Transfer skills learned in C++ to other programming languages

Resources

We will use several resources:

Recommended texts include:

  • C++ Primer on Amazon by Stanley Lippman, Josée Lajoie, and Barbara E. Moo (5th Ed.), ISBN-13 9780321714114
  • Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++ on Amazon by Bjarne Stroustrup (2nd Ed.), ISBN-13 978-0321992789

Grading

Your grade will be computed based on assignments, exams, quizzes, and participation. There is a total of 1,000 points available, broken down as follows:

  • There will be 5 assignments worth 50 points each, for a total of 250 points.
  • There will be 5 quizzes worth 20 points each, for a total of 100 points.
  • There will be 5 in-class activities worth 50 points each, for a total of 250 points.
  • There will be 2 performance assessments worth 100 points each.
  • There will be 1 exam worth 100 points.
  • There will be 1 final project worth 100 points.

On the 1,000-point scale, you can expect the following letter grades:

      >= 930: A      >= 770: C+  
      >= 900: A–     >= 730: C  
      >= 870: B+     >= 680: C–  
      >= 830: B      >= 600: D  
      >= 800: B–       else: F

In the end, I may choose to adjust the scale slightly to compensate for assignments or questions that turned out to be trickier than I intended. Such adjustments would never lower your grade from what is designated in the above table; if you achieve 930 points, you are guaranteed an A.

Policies

Lateness Factor. It is important to complete tasks on time, so you don’t fall behind. Missed quizzes will receive a zero and cannot be made up. However, if you need to miss an exam, try to notify me in advance so we can make other arrangements. Late assignments will be graded using a lateness factor f — a real number in the range {0 . . . 1} that is multiplied by your earned score to determine a late score. It is defined as: \[f(x) = min(1.0, \frac{1}{ln(1 + \frac{h}{113}) + 1} )\]

where the variable h represents the number of hours the submission is late. The table below shows some sample values of the late factor for increasingly late submission times.

Lateness Curve

Extra credit. Students usually ask for extra credit late in the semester after they have already squandered their original opportunities. Be sure to start your work early, so that we can detect and solve any problems before they can affect your grade.

Plagiarism is the use or presentation of ideas, words, or work that is not one’s own and that is not common knowledge, without granting credit to the originator. Plagiarism is a practice that is not only unacceptable but which is to be condemned in the strongest terms possible on the basis of moral, educational and legal grounds. Under University policy, plagiarism may be punishable by a range of penalties from a failing grade in the assignment or course to dismissal from the school. All students are required to read the handbook on avoiding plagiarism (https://www.vaughn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2019-2020-Student-Handbook.pdf).

Cheating includes, but is not limited to the following: falsification of statements or data; listing sources that have not been used; having another individual write your paper or do your assignments; writing a paper or creating work for another student to use without proper attribution; purchase of paper or research work for one’s submission as their own work; using written, verbal, or electronic or other sources of aid during an examination (except when expressly permitted by the instructor, depending on the nature of the examination) or knowingly providing such assistance to aid other students.

Attendance. Showing up on time to class is extremely important. If you must be absent or more than 5 minutes late, please try to notify me in advance. I will be keeping track of whether you are in class, and when you arrive. A few missed classes will not count against you, but habitual absence will significantly hurt your grade. Additionally, there will be no make-up quizzes. I do not distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absence. Unless you miss an exam due to a severe medical emergency, I don’t need to see a doctor’s note. If you do miss an exam, the make-up exam may be somewhat different from the one given in class.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives students control over the disclosure of their educational records. During this course, you may have the opportunity to create accounts or register with certain public online services. In these cases, you do not need to make any personally identifying information public. You may use a pseudonym or online handle, as long as you identify yourself to the instructor.

Campus Facilities

Tentative Schedule

 1. Oct 03     Introduction and Getting Started 
               Installing Visual Studio
 2. Oct 10     Life & Anatomy of a C++ Program
               Getting to Know Your Text Editor
    Oct 14     Assignment 1 due
 3. Oct 17     Loops
               Strings, Escape Characters, Raw Input
    Oct 21     Assignment 2 due
 4. Oct 24     User-Defined Functions
               Lab Session I: Putting It All Together
               Lab Session II: Pretty Code & General Style Guidelines
    Nov 04     Assignment 3 due
 5. Nov 07     Dynamics & Rules of Pair Programming
               Lab Session I: Number Type Activity & Giving Feedback
               Lab Session II: Guessing Game (and Pseudorandom Numbers)
               Lab Session III: Printing ASCII Values
    Nov 11     Assignment 4 due
 6. Nov 14     C++ Musical Chairs
 7. Nov 21     Arrays & Vectors
 8. Dec 05     Final Project Announcement
               Pass by Reference versus Value
               Structs
               Lab Session: Simulated Database
 9. Dec 12     Object & Classes
 10. Dec 19    Wrap-up and Project Due

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