CSE 111 – Spring 2009
Great Ideas in Computer Science
Helene G. Kershner
Assistant Chair, CSE
Office: 209 Bell Hall
Phone: 645-3180 x 118
Email: kershner@cse.buffalo.edu
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
Office Hours:
Tuesdays: 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Wednesdays: 2:00 – 3:00 pm
By appointment.
Class Time:
CSE111A MWF 3:00 - 3:50 pm – Knox 104
CSE111B MWF 1:00 -1:50 pm – Knox 104
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
Textbooks:
Karel the Robot - A Gentle
Introduction to the Art of
Programming, 2nd Ed.,
Richard E. Pattis
Classnotes:
Class notes will be posted for all lectures.
Additional supporting material will be posted. You are expected to read this material in detail.
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
Do I really want this course?
• If you want to learn about computers without programming, take
– CSE 101 -- Computers: A General
Introduction.
• If you want to learn how to program, take either
– CSE 113 – Intro. To Programming for
Non-Majors I
– CSE 115 – Intro. To Computer Science I
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
So what is CSE 111?
• If you want to learn about the
Great Ideas of Computer
Science in the context the basic mathematics that make computers work
OR
• You just want to satisfy the math requirements without taking a "math" course or a departmental requirement,
• Then you are in the right place.
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
3 Exams - 60 %
• 2 Quizzes - 10 %
• 3 Projects – 20%
– 2 programming projects (12%)
– 1 team project (8%)
• Class Participation – 10%
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
• I feel very strongly about this!
• When programming your work must be your own.
• On the group project, if you let the other members of the team do the work and you float, this is another form of academic dishonesty.
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
We were raised in different generations.
Some things are the same: (sort of)
– Television and Movies
– Trains, Planes and Automobiles
– Telephones
– Politics and War
– Sex, Love and Hate
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
Books have been banned, or
“they” tried to –
– Huckleberry Finn
– Catcher in the Rye
– Catch 22
– Harry Potter
This only made the books all that much more interesting.
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
From your perspective the
Computer may be the “new” textbook.
The computer is where we now go for information of all kinds, from solved problems in physics, to maps and directions, to recipes
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
*
TV Show titled – The Machine That Changed the World which was produced by
WGBH Television in Boston MA, in cooperation with the British Broadcasting
Corp., with support from ACM , NSF and UNISYS , 1992.
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
– TV, Movies
– Cars, Airplanes
– Telephones
– Driving Directions
– Interpersonal Communication
– Commerce
– Books
• Kindle – Amazon’s wireless reading device
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner

CSE 111
Great Ideas in Computer Science
Understanding the Great Ideas in
Computer Science:
– Improve critical thinking skills
– Understand the mathematics that underlie computers.
– Make more effective, more competent computer users.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAUyaELfwBo
Copyright © 2009 by Helene G. Kershner