Academic Year 2025: Department of Computer Science: Study-Guide Prof. Dr.rer.nat. Stefan Gruner, Dipl.-Inf. M.A. COS151 Introduction to Computer Science PREFACE -1- This COS151 Study Guide is an extension of the Department of Computer Science's general Departmental Guidelines for Students which can be found online via the department's CS Portal: https://portal.cs.up.ac.za/ All rules and regulations stipulated in the above-mentioned Departmental Guidelines are applicable also for COS151, even if they are not explicitly repeated in this COS151 Study Guide. All students are obliged to familiarise themselves with those general rules and cannot claim ignorance if they do not comply with this advice. ________________________________________________________________________________ COS151: MOTIVATION AND PURPOSE OF THE MODULE COS151 introduces fundamental concepts which must be understood as the basis of further studies in any area or sub-area of computer science. These concepts include (for example) the notions of 'computation' and 'algorithmn', the binary number system as a theoretical representation of digital computational operations, Boole-logic as a theoretical representation of digital electronic circuits, encoding of information, data and data structures, etc. Because computer science is to a large extent a science of constructive problem-solving, COS151 has a strong focus on active problem-solving (not merely passive "learning and telling"). Prerequisites • From school (before university), 1st-year students of COS151 must bring a formal "APS" of 30, with "Level 5" (60%-69\%) in School-Mathematics. Moreover students must also bring into this course module a high level of creative problem-solving-ability which is a "feature of the mind" (a.k.a. "aptitude") that cannot be "learned" merely by reading books. The student must therefore bring into COS151 the willing-ness to practice this ability by way of frequent exercises, various logical puzzles, and the like. Without any such problem-solvingability it will not be possible to pass this course. Educational Results • Upon successful completion of COS151, the student shall be able to describe algorithms (in particular by means of Nassi-Shneiderman diagrams), to solve a variety of Boolean logic problems, to solve calculation problems in non-decimal (particularly: the binary) number systems, to create small but nonetheless fully operational Turing programs, to solve abstract algebraic equation systems by means of which algebraic Data Structures (such as Stack and Queue) are represented, etc. These capabilities will be relevant in many subsequent courses. Connection with other Course Modules • COS151 is a mandatory prerequisite for COS110 (in the 2nd semester of study-year-1) as well as for COS210 (in study-year-2). Students who fail COS151 are thus not allowed to participate subsequently in COS110, nor in COS210, until this prerequisite requirement is eventually met.1 ________________________________________________________________________________ EDUCATIONAL APPROACH All Lectures, Tutorials, and Consultation Hours of COS151 will take place in person, on campus, according to the official timetable (see below). Attending these educational events on campus is mandatory. During these educational events, the students will scribble their own memos into their booklet (see below), which may later be used as memory-supporting auxiliary material in the written semester tests and exams (see below). In COS151 no lecture slides will be "provided" to the students — neither before nor after the lectures: The students will study solely from their own handwritten booklet and from COS151's official textbook (plus further study-materials: see below). 1 There is a small exception for Students of Engineering for whom COS151 is not a prerequisite for entering COS110 -2In COS151 we work mostly with pen and paper [Dijkstra's method of computer science education] except for the chapter on Turing machines (see below) wherein computing devices with educational support software will be used. Students who do not possess their own private computer shall use the university's public computer laboratories for this purpose. The studied knowledge is consolidated by frequent pen-and-paper-homeworks (see below) which must be personally submitted by particular submission deadlines into a submission box on campus. Credit Points and Notional Effort-Hours • Because COS151 is a module of 8 "Credit Points", students must spend at least (8 · 10) = 80 effort hours throughout the semester (from the 1st day of lectures up to the day of the final exam) of "deep" and diligent studies for this course module. Students who do not diligently invest these 80 effort hours cannot expect to pass COS151; (the details of assessment are given below). Student's Duties and Responsibilities Every COS151 student is obliged • to read THIS Study-Guide document diligently and entirely already during the 1st week of lectures and to henceforth comply with its prescriptions; • to obtain the prescribed Textbook (see below) swiftly at the beginning of the semester from a legitimate source (no contraband merchandise!) as Print-book or as E-book; • to obtain the prescribed Scribble-Booklet (format: see below) swiftly at the beginning of the semester from any of the usual stationary shops; • to keep and maintain an additional "COS151 diary" (or "logbook") in which every effort hour is diligently recorded (for example by "ticking off" boxes [√] in a tabular grid of 8·10 = 80 fields),2 • to present the efforts-logbook to the Tutor on every occasion that the student uses to visit Tutor's Consultation Hour; • to personally attend every Lecture and every Tutorial on campus every week (except in the case of medical illness, or except during the university's official holidays); • to scribble meaningful and useful personal individual memo-notes into the prescribed COS151 scribble-booklet during every Lecture and during every Tutorial; • to go to Tutor's Consultation Hour on campus (see below) at least once per week (except in the case of medical illness); • to prepare a hand-written solution paper for every compulsory Homework (see below) for timely submission into the submission box before the stipulated submission deadlines (except in the case of medical illness); • to participate in the written Semester-Test (see below) before the date of the final exam (except in the case of medical illness); • to frequently read the COS151 module's ClickUp Companion Website (see below) for keeping up-to-date with relevant announcements, communications, or notifications about further details (for example: dates of Homework submission deadlines, hints to relevant other study sources to be fetched from the Internet, and the like) or ad-hoc changes which might possibly have to be made to the "proceedings" of COS151 during the semester "on the fly" if a need for any such change suddenly arises (for example: unforeseen illness of the Professor, ad-hoc special days like National Voting Day, or similar cases); • to comply with all laws and regulations that are generally applicable in the Republic of South Africa as well as within the University of Pretoria's specific domain of jurisdiction; • to address all COS151 staff members, Assistant Lecturers and Lab-Tutors, respectfully with politeness and courtesy (especially the female Assistant Lecturers and Lab-Tutoresses). 2 The "Efforts-Logbook" can be kept easily on the 1st page of the prescribed COS151 Scribble-Booklet. STUDY MATERIALS -3- In COS151, no lecture slides will be released to the students; in fact many lectures will be given by other educational means without the use of any slides. For this reason, all students of COS151 will need the following study materials, which they must obtain as swiftly as possible without delay: Prescribed COS151 Textbook • Behrouz Forouzan: Foundations of Computer Science: CENGAGE Publisher. Additional Remarks: ◦ The book's newest Edition is currently the 5th. ◦ However, we do not demand that students accquire the newest 5th edition, and we also do not demand that students accquire a brand-new book (which costs approximately 1'000 ZA-Rand in February 2025). ◦ If a student has any opportunity to accquire a pre-used older edition (4th, 3rd, 2nd) from the 2nd-hand-market for cheaper, and thus be able to save some money, we fully accept this, too, (however: please no very old 1st edition). Borrowing from a library is also OK. ◦ It is the student's choice to obtain the prescribed textbook either "classically" printed, or digitally as "E-Book". Prescribed COS151 Scribble-Booklet Brand: "4 Quire" (made in South Africa), Size A4, with 384 pages, as shown in the photo on the right-hand-side → • • • During the lectures and tutorials, and also at home, the students hand-write their own memo-notes into this booklet. This booklet, containing the student's own hand-written memo-notes, may be used as memory-aid in the Test and in the Exams of COS151. VERY IMPORTANT: ◦ It is not allowed to glue any photocopied or printed "extra pages" into this booklet with glue or cello-tape, (nor with staples)! ◦ Any scribble-booklet, that contains any non-hand-written extra materials, may not be used as memory-aid in the Test nor in the Exams of COS151! ◦ At the entrance door to the exam rooms of COS151, a compliancecontrol will take place: forbidden materials will be barred from use! Additional Study-Materials • As the above-mentioned prescribed Textbook does not contain "everything" that will be studied during the course of COS151, the professor will occasionally equip the students with "Further Reading" materials (at no additional financial costs) via the COS151 ClickUp Companion Web-Page (see below). • Any such Further Reading materials are also examinable in the Test and in the Exams! ________________________________________________________________________________ TIME TABLES -4- Note that COS151 is an on-campus module: No online-lectures via the internet, nor online-tutorials via the internet nor online-consultation via e-Mail are provided. In other words: for any education or advice which you wish to receive, you must to come to campus personally.3 Lectures (attendance = compulsory) • Monday o8:30h−o9:20h, in hall Thuto-1-2 • Thursday 16:30h−17:20h, in hall Thuto-1-2 Tutorial (attendance = compulsory) • Friday 15:30h−16:20h, alternatively also 16:30h−17:20h, both in hall IT-2-23 ◦ Students may choose to attend either the early tutorial, or the late tutorial, or both tutorials; however at least one tutorial must be attended every week. Student's own self-goverened Lab-Work-Opportunity a.k.a."Practical" (recommended) • Friday o7:30h−15:00h in Laboratory ORANGE Advice: COS151-Students may utilise this lab-time in their own manner, as they wish. We recommend that students use these lab-times to prepare their Homework for submission. If tutors get allocated to COS151 (see further announcements) they will be there for support Tutors' Consultation Hour (recommended) • The "hiring" of Tutors depends on the financial budget of the University of Pretoria and on the availability of older computer science students (typically in their 2nd or 3rd study-years) for any open Tutoring-positions. • If any such Tutors get appointed for COS151, then: ◦ their Consultation Hours will take place in the above-mentioned Laboratory Hours and ◦ it is highly recommended that Students of COS151 speak frequently (without the need for any formal pre-bookings) to the Tutors who are available in the Orange Lab during the indicated time slots. • Announcements concerning the "hiring" of Tutors shall be posted via the Companion Webpage (COS151 "ClickUP") in due course. Assistant Lecturers' Consultation Hour (recommended) • The names of the Assistant Lecturers, and their individual consultation hours, will be posted on COS151's "ClickUp" companion web-page as soon as the Assistant Lecturers have been officially appointed. The Assistant Lecturers' consultation hours will all take place in room IT-4-22 (a.k.a. the "COS-Tutorium"). • The Assistant Lecturer's consultation hours will all be "walk-in" events ("come as you are"), without any need for pre-booking a time-slot in advance. Professor's Consultation Hour (only in severe serious cases) • Students of COS151 must have already been in Assistant Lecturer's Consultation Hour (see above) with poor success before any consultation hour with the Professor can possibly be booked. • Booking of a consultation hour with the Professor must be made in the Assistant Lecturers' Consultation Hour (see above), whereupon the Assistant Lecturer forwards the appointment request from the Student to the Professor. • The Professor will not provide any consultation via telephone. • The Professor will not provide any consultation via e-mail. • It is however possible to speak to the Professor briefly (without any pre-booking) at the end of each lecture (see time-table above): Lectures are personally given by the Professor himself. 3 For any exception from this general rule −for example the outbreak of a pandemic disease such as experienced with COVID19 in the past years− announcements will be posted ad-hoc via the COS151 ClickUp Companion Web-page. SYLLABUS -5- The following Chapters and/or Sections of the prescribed Textbook (see above) will be particularly relevant for COS151 in this year 2025, whereby the sequential order of discussion (see below) will not be the same as the sequential order in which these topics are shown in the book. To some of the topics the Professor will provide the students with additional study-materials (also examinable) that are not included in the Textbook. One chapter of the Textbook must be self-studied entirely without being discussed in any of the lectures (nor tutorials). Topic Area : Basic Mathematics • Textbook Appendix G, for self-study only (in combination with your "WTW" Modules) Topic Area : The History and the Scientific-ness of the Computing Discipline • Textbook Chapter 1 (partly ‒ only selected sections) • Additional study-materials may be provided by the Professor Topic Area : Syntax and Semantics of Algorithms, and their Representation by Turing Machines • Textbook Chapter 8 • Textbook Chapter 17 (partly ‒ only selected sections) • Additional study-materials may be provided by the Professor Topic Area : Data Structures and Data Types • Textbook Chapters 11−12 • Additional study-materials may be provided by the Professor Topic Area : Non-Decimal Numbers, Binary Data Operations, and Propositional Boolean Logic • Textbook Chapter 2 (partly ‒ only selected sections) • Textbook Chapter 4 • Textbook Appendix E • Additional study-materials may be provided by the Professor Topic Area : Computer Organisation, Register Machines, and Machine Code • Textbook Chapter 5 (partly ‒ only selected sections) • Textbook Section 9.1 • Additional study-materials may be provided by the Professor Topic Area : Data Compression and Data Encoding for Data Transmission • Textbook Chapter 15 (partly ‒ only selected sections) • Textbook Appendix H (partly ‒ only selected sections) • Additional study-materials may be provided by the Professor ________________________________________________________________________________ SEMESTER SCHEDULE As the details of the future are not precisely predictable, only a tentative schedule is sketched here, whereas announcements about further details will be posted via COS151's companion web-page "ClickUP" (see below). From the Beginning of the Semester to the Semester Test • The main focus is presumably on the Topic Areas: History of Computing, Algorithms and Turing Machines, Data Structures and Data Types, Number Systems, Operations on Data, Computer Organisation. • Date of the Semester Test: most likely on the 9th of May: exact details t.b.a. (via "ClickUp") Turn the page → -6From the Semester Test to the End of the Semester • The main focus is presumably on the Topics Areas: Data Compression, Data Encoding, Data Transmission. From the End of the Semester to the Final Exam • Students will self-study (in their own responsibility) in preparation for the Final Exam. • NO Revision-Lectures will take place between the end of the semester and the final exam! • NO Revision-Tutorials will take place between the end of the semester and the final exam! • Date of the Final Exam: most likely on the 2nd of June: exact details t.b.a. (via "ClickUp"). ________________________________________________________________________________ ASSESSMENT Important, note: contrary to the information which you might perhaps find on the University of Pretoria's web-page for the Academic Year 2025, COS151 has only ONE Semester Test (in month May), NOT two Semester Tests! Because COS151 is "worth" only 8 Credit Points (as explained above), the students of COS151 would get over-worked with too many notional effort-hours if two semester tests would have to be "taken". The most important "outcome" −whether you pass or fail COS151− depends solely on the quality of your own work (see above: at least 80 effort-hours) which gets assessed and marked as described in the following paragraphs: Fundamental Principles of Assessment • Given a task or problem to be solved, the marks or points awarded to the student's work depends on whether the solution is correct. No "mercy marks" will dished out "for the efforts" when a solution submitted by a student is plainly false. • The number of assessment events is fixed and is the same for all students. If students submit wrong solutions, for which few or no marks are awareded, then students carry the full consequences of their own mistakes: In COS151 there are no "extra opportunities" to "make up" for bad marks (or anything of such kind which is often done in schools before university). In other words: "fail is fail". • All students of COS151 are treated equally, and there will be no individual extra privileges (un-fair individual advantages) for any individual person for any reason whatsover.4 • After a student's submitted work has been marked, the student gets a fair opportunity to inspect the marked work (a.k.a. "perusal") and to point out marking-mistakes (if a marker has objectively made a marking-mistake) within a time-frame that terminates by a specific deadline: These revision deadlines will be communicated via the "ClickUP" Companion web-page (see below) for each assessment, and are not individually negotiable. After a revision deadline has elapsed, the marks for the submitted work remains "frozen" as it is, and the case of the "frozen" mark will not be re-opened again. • "Borderline" marks will not be rounded up to the "better" result: ◦ Mark 39.444 will remain standing as 39 ("below sub-minimum") ◦ Mark 49.444 will remain standing as 49 ("fail") ◦ Mark 74.444 will remain standing as 74 ("no distinction") Turn the page → 4 Students who have a valid Disability Letter, issued and signed by the relevant authorities, will be treated according to the Rules and Regulations concerning disability: Such a situation is not regarded as " extra privilege" (nor as "unfair advantage"). -7- Homework-Practicals • In the homework practicals, the student must exercise and practice to solve problems which are similar "in kind" to the problems that must be solved in the Semester Test and the Exam. • Solving the Homework-Practical problems is thus an important Exam-Preparation-Activity. • Under normal circumstances there will be 1 Homework-Practical every week. Exceptions to this general rule (for example: university's official vacation week) will be communicated adhoc via the "ClickUp" Companion Web-page. • Belated submissions are not accepted under any circumstances, for any reasons whatsoever! • All Homework-Practicals together are worth 10 Points. • In COS151 it is not possible to get any sorts of "bonus points" (that would allow a student to obtain "100%" without actually having done 100% of the work). Semester Test • The semester test is worth 30 Points. • In COS151 it is not possible to get any sorts of "bonus points" (that would allow a student to obtain "100%" without actually having done 100% of the work). • The usage of the above-mentioned hand-written scribble-booklets in the Semester Test is allowed and encouraged, whereby an Entrance-Door-Control will ensure that no forbidden (printed or photocopied) snippets are additionally glued nor stapled into the scribble booklet. • The Study-Topics for the Semester Test are "everything" that was "covered" from the start of the Semester up to the date of the Test. Final Exam • The final exam is worth 60 Points. • In COS151 it is not possible to get any sorts of "bonus points" (that would allow a student to obtain "100%" without actually having done 100% of the work). • The usage of the above-mentioned hand-written scribble-booklets in the Exam is allowed and encouraged, whereby an Entrance-Door-Control will ensure that no forbidden (printed or photocopied) snippets are additionally glued nor stapled into the scribble booklet. • The Study-Topics for the Final Exam are ALL Topics that were discussed throughout the entire semester from Day 1 onwards, (though a particular emphasis is given to those topics that had not yet been assessed in the foregoing semester test). Total COS151 Course Pass Conditions With 10+30+60 Points for all Homeworks, the Semester Test, and the Final Exam (see above), the highest possible Final Mark for COS151 is 100. • To pass COS151, at least 50 Points (out of those 100) must be obtained, whereby • 49 Points are NOT rounded up to 50. Supplementary Exam Opportunity for Sub-Minimum Students • Students who have a final total mark in the sub-minimum range (40%−49%) are allowed to write 1 Supplementary Exam (some time after the Final Exam). • A final mark of 39 will NOT (under no circumstances whatsoever) be rounded up to 40 such that students with a final mark of 39 will NOT be allowed to write any supplementary exam: • Those students definitely fail COS151. • The usage of the above-mentioned hand-written scribble-booklets in the Supplementary Exam is allowed and encouraged, whereby an Entrance-Door-Control will ensure that no forbidden (printed or photocopied) snippets are additionally glued or stapled into the booklet • IMPORTANT: Attempting to participate in the Supplementary Exam without having met the conditions for participation is an ACADEMIC OFFENCE ! • Students who participate in the Supplementary Exam can obtain a Maximal Final Total mark of 50 (even if their work in the Supplementary Exam was very good). ________________________________________________________________________________ -8MISSED OPPORTUNITIES (due to ILLNESS, or Other Reasons) The term "valid reason", used in the following paragraphs, must be understood as defined in the official Rule Book of the University of Pretoria. It includes −for example− medical illness as well as some other types of incidents, however not Private Life Events such as "my sister's birthday" or similar matters. Missed Lecture • If you missed a lecture for any reason whatsoever, then you must ask a studdy-buddy what had been discussed in the lecture; thereafter you must self-study the missed topic from the Textbook (or from other additional literature) as a matter of your own responsibility. • As the lectures in COS151 are presented to a large extent without electronic slide-show, you cannot expect to get from the Professor any kinds of "PowerPoint slides" that would show ex-post-facto what had been the point of discussion in the lecture which you had missed. Missed Tutorial • As above in the case of "Missed Lecture", for any reason whatsoever. • IMPORTANT: As the Homework-Practicals are typically collected from the students in the Tutorials (whereby the Tutor has the Submission-Box in the Tutorial-Hall), you should make an effort not to miss too many Tutorials, because otherwise you'd have missing HomeworkPractical submissions, too: see below. Missed Submission of a Homework-Practical • Because each individual Homework carries only a tiny "weight" towards the total final mark (whereby all Homeworks together are worth only 10 Semester Points as mentioned above), a missed practical submission is simply lost for any reason whatsoever. • Such a missed practical will automatically receive Null marks, and cannot be re-done later. • No belated submissions (after the deadline) are accepted for any reason whatsoever. • This rule applies also to students who have a late registration and come newly into COS151 only after the semester-activities have already started. Missed Semester-Test • Students who missed the Semester Test for a valid reason receive an opportunity to write an Aegrotat-Test somewhat later, (but still before the Final Exam). • The usage of the above-mentioned hand-written scribble-booklets in the Aegrotat-Test is allowed and encouraged, whereby an Entrance-Door-Control will ensure that no forbidden (printed or photocopied) snippets are additionally glued nor stapled into the scribble-booklet Missed Aegrotat-Test • A missed Aegrotat-Test, for any reasons whatsoever, is lost and receives Mark 0, which is not negotiable. There are no further "Re-Aegrotat-Tests" after a lost Aegrotat-Test. Missed Final Exam • Students who miss the Final Exam for a valid reason will receive an opportunity to write an Aegrotat-Exam, in which the above-mentioned scribble-booklet is allowed to be used. • The Aegrotat-Exam will be scheduled at the same time and in the same room as the abovementioned Supplementary Exam: • This arrangements implies that writers of the Aegrotat-Exam will get NO Supplementary Exam in the case that their Aegrotat-Exam-Result is insufficient to pass COS151! Missed Supplementary Exam • A missed Supplementary-Exam, for any reasons whatsoever, is finally lost (with Mark 0), which is not negotiable. • There is no "Re-Supplementary-Exam" whatsoever after a lost Supplementary Exam. -9- Missed Aegrotat Exam • A missed Agrotat-Exam, for any reasons whatsoever, is finally lost (with Mark 0), which is not negotiable. • There is no "Re-Aegrotat-Exam" whatsoever after a lost Aegrotat Exam. Various other Matters about "Missing Tests and/or Exams" • If you have a date conflict between a COS151 Test/Exam and a COS2xy Test/Exam at 2ndYear Level, then you must write the COS151 Test/Exam with highest priority, (and apply for "Aegrotat Permission" in the other COS2xy module). That is because COS151 is the most fundamental course module of your entire curriculum. • If you have a date conflict between a COS151 Test/Exam and a Test/Exam in a non-COS module (e.g.: Multimedia, Mathematics, etc.), the exam of your Main Curriculum has the higher priority, and you'll write the Aegrotat Exam for the exam of your "side-line" studies. Proof of "Valid Reason" • For a missed Semester Test, the Proof of "Valid Reason" Letter must be uploaded by the student onto the COS151 "ClickUp" Companion Web-page within 3 days of the missed Test • For a missed Exam, the Proof of "Valid Reason" Letter must be submitted to the Faculty's Administration Office in the Engineering Building within 3 days of the missed Exam. • Without Proof of Valid Reason submitted before the deadline you cannot participate in any Aegrotat Assessment! Belated Registration • Belated-Registration-students are taking full responsibility for their own belated registration. • They cannot expect to be given any extra service on the grounds of their belated registration. ________________________________________________________________________________ CASES OF GRIEVANCE Students of COS151 have the right to democratically elect a COS151 course representative student very soon after the start of the semester. As soon as the representative student has been elected, any student who has grievance must follow the steps which are described below, and not "jump ahead" by omitting any of the prescribed steps, whereby it is the duty of the elected course representative student to support the other students in cases of grievance. Grievance concerning a Lab-Tutor • The student with grievance approaches the Elected Course Representative. • The course representative approaches the Lab-Tutor face-to-face, and makes a reasonable attempt at resolving the grievance at this level. • IF the resolution attempt at the level of the Lab-Tutor was not successful in spite of honest efforts, then the course representative approaches an Assistant Lecturer for additional support. • IF the resolution attempt at the level of the Assistant Lecturer was not successful in spite of honest efforts, then the course representative approaches the Professor for additional support. • IF the resolution attempt at the level of the Professor was not successful in spite of honest efforts, then the course representative approaches the Head of the Computer Science Department for additional support. • During all these steps, the course representative duly informs the student with the grievance about what is currently happening in the process. Turn the page → -10- Grievance concerning a Fellow Student • The student with grievance approaches the Elected Course Representative. • The course representative approaches the Fellow Student face-to-face, and makes a reasonable attempt at resolving the grievance at this level. • IF the resolution attempt at the level of the Fellow Student was not successful in spite of honest efforts, then the course representative approaches an Assistant Lecturer for additional support. ◦ Important Note: in the cases of grievance about a Fellow Student, the Lab-Tutors do not get involved. • IF the resolution attempt at the level of the Assistant Lecturer was not successful in spite of honest efforts, then the course representative approaches the Professor for additional support. • IF the resolution attempt at the level of the Professor was not successful in spite of honest efforts, then the course representative approaches the Head of the Computer Science Department for additional support. • During all these steps, the course representative duly informs the student with the grievance about what is currently happening in the process. Grievance concerning an Assistant Lecturer • The student with grievance approaches the Elected Course Representative. • The course representative approaches the Assistant Lecturer face-to-face, and makes a reasonable attempt at resolving the grievance at this level. • IF the resolution attempt at the level of the Assistant Lecturers was not successful in spite of honest efforts, then the course representative approaches the Professor for additional support. • IF the resolution attempt at the level of the Professor was not successful in spite of honest efforts, then the course representative approaches the Head of the Computer Science Department for additional support. • During all these steps, the course representative duly informs the student with the grievance about what is currently happening in the process. Grievance concerning the Professor • The student with grievance approaches the elected course representative. • The course representative approaches the Professor face-to-face, and makes a reasonable attempt at resolving the grievance at this level. • IF the resolution attempt at the level of the Professor was not successful in spite of honest efforts, then the course representative approaches the Head of the Computer Science Department for additional support. • During all these steps, the course representative duly informs the student with the grievance about what is currently happening in the process. Grievance concerning the Elected Course Representative • IF the Elected Course Representative is always un-helpful and never does the duty of the office, then the student with grievance reports the un-helpfulness of the Elected Course Representative to one of the Assistant Lecturers. • The Assistant Lecturers will then try to resolve the problem directly with the un-helpful course representative. • IF the Assistant Lecturers' efforts are in vain, then the Professor tries to resolve problem with the un-helpful course representative. • In the worst possible case, IF the elected course representative is never responsive (or perhaps drops out of the COS151 module entirely), then a by-election might be conducted during the semester in which a new (more helpful) course representative can be chosen. ________________________________________________________________________________ -11TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE NEEDED DURING COS151 HOMEWORKS AND EXAMS Because you are allowed to utilise the above-mentioned scribble-booklet as memory-aid in all COS151 assessments, the given assessment-problems will never be of such kind that their answer could be "read straight out of the book". Even more important than the necessary knowledge about "things" is the knowledge about the methods which must be applied intelligently (or "wisely") in order to solve a given assessment problem. Such knowledge about methods can be acquired only by relentless continuous exercising and practicing. As computer science is a science of problemsolving (and in this aspect similar to engineering), this methodological type of knowledge is the most important knowledge that a student of computer science must have − because the knowledge about "things" we can always easily look up from a handbook or dictionary. ________________________________________________________________________________ PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct whereby already existing knowledge is wrongly presented as if the plagiator had originally invented or discovered it. The offence is not in using already existing knowledge (which is what "culture" is all about); the offence is being deliberately un-truthful about where the knowledge, which we are using, actually comes from. Some knowledge is so well known that everbody knows that we have not invented it: For example we do not commit plagiarism when we write "2 + 3 = 5" without referencing the title of a specific Mathematics book. Other knowledge, however, is more "obscure" and less well-known, such that readers would not know immediately whether we have originally "invented" this knowledge, or whether we have perhaps found it in some old book that is not in wide circulation. In such cases we must honestly admit that we have "found" −not originally invented− our knowledge in the old book by duly providing a literature reference to the author and the title of the old book in which we had made our finding. The same principle applies to web-pages of the internet, too, of which there are so many millions "out there" on the internet that no individual person can be familiar with all of them. Software tools, that are designed for automatically "mining" or "scraping" knowledge out of the internet in order to quickly "synthesize" it into a tool-generated piece of text that "looks new" (though it is not), may thus be regarded as some kind of automated "Plagiator-Bots". For this reason also the utilisation of such software tools is strictly forbidden in COS151, whereby regular screenings can possibly be carried out in order to investigate whether any student has illegally used any such forbidden tools. As far as the weekly homeworks in COS151 are concerned, you are allowed to approach a Lab-Tutor for advice which is precisely the reason why we employ LabTutors for you. However you are not allowed to copy the Homework-Solution from a Study Buddy, and you are also not allowed to "lend" your own Homework-Solution to a Study Buddy such that the Study Buddy can easily copy it from you. IF any plagiarism gets detected, then the university's prescribed follow-up-procedures are fully applicable. For further details see the library's web page http://www.library.up.ac.za/plagiarism/index.htm ________________________________________________________________________________ ONLINE CONTINUATION OF THIS STUDY GUIDE ON THE "ClickUP" WEB PAGE As new situations and events will arise frequently during the course of the semester, ad-hoc communications, instructions and announcements will be posted online on COS151's "ClickUp" Companion Web-page. Those forthcoming announcements must be regarded as an extension of this study guide document and are as valid as if they had been printed here in this document. For this reason it is every student's duty to monitor the "ClickUp" page frequently in order not to miss any important news. No "ignorance" can be claimed if a student, who did not diligently monitor the "ClickUp" page, misses any important information or instruction that had been posted online there. ________________________________________________________________________________ -12- APPENDIX: GENERAL INFORMATION (not specific to COS151) Department of Computer Science • Guidelines concerning the entire Computer Science Curriculum: ◦ https://www.cs.up.ac.za/undergraduate/ • Secretary for Students' Administrative Matters: ◦ Mrs. Elmarie Willemse: ewillemse@cs.up.ac.za • Advisor for Students's Academic Matters: ◦ Prof. Linda Marshall: lmarshall@cs.up.ac.za • Acting Head of Department: ◦ Prof. Linda Marshall: lmarshall@cs.up.ac.za UP Library: Section for Computer Science • Librarian for Computer Science Books that can be borrowed: ◦ Ms. Bulelwa Mandubu: bulelwa.mandubu@up.ac.za EBIT Faculty Office • Regulations of the Year-Book ◦ https://www.up.ac.za/yearbooks/home • Advisors for almost any matters of "Student Life": ◦ Appointments can be booked via ebitfsa@up.ac.za Emergency Phone Number (24-h Operational Management Centre) • Personal Crisis / Danger / Campus Safety / Campus Security ◦ Phone 0800 00 64 28 ◦ Additional phone numbers are printed on the back side of your Student Card IT-Support (IT-Helpdesk) • Problems with mal-functioning Computers, especially in the IT-Laboratories ◦ Phone 012 420 3837 or 012 420 3051 ◦ studenthelp@up.ac.za "Fly at UP" • Similar to the above-mentioned EBIT Student Support, however for the whole of UP ◦ www.up.ac.za/fly@up ◦ fly@up.ac.za Disability Unit • Special Help for Students with any Disabilities ◦ https://www.up.ac.za/disability-unit ◦ du@up.ac.za Student Counselling • Psychological Support in situations of Mental Distress ◦ Phone 012 420 2333 Student Health Services • Campus Nurse in a Campus Ambulance Room ◦ Phone 012 420 5233 , or 012 420 3423 Professional Career Advice • especially for Soon-Graduating Students ◦ careerservices@up.ac.za ◦ Phone 012 420 2315 Turn the page → -13Department of Student Affairs • Advice about various matters of "Student Life", including accommodation, food, fees and funding, social and cultural activities, various kinds of personal problems, etc. ◦ Roosmaryn Building (Hatfield Campus) ◦ Phone 012 420 2371 / 4001 Fees and Funding • Matters of Student-Finance ◦ www.up.ac.za/fees-and-funding ◦ www.up.ac.za/enquiry Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender • Awareness-Training and Peer-Counsellors for these matters ◦ Phone 012 420 4391 PDBY • UP's Student-Newspaper ◦ https://pdby.co.za/ TUKS FM • Campus Radio Station (mostly Pop-Music) ◦ https://www.tuksfm.co.za/ TUKS Sport • Get and stay fit, move your body... ◦ https://www.up.ac.za/tukssport TUKS Camerata • Sing songs in a big choir ◦ https://www.up.ac.za/university-of-pretoria-camerata UP Symphony Orchestra • Play an instrument in a very big band ◦ https://www.up.ac.za/up-symphony-orchestra Anti-Discrimination Statement (University of Pretoria) • The University of Pretoria is committed to building an inclusive, affirming and transformed institutional culture, curriculum and campus life. It rejects and condemns racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ethnic chauvinism, religious intolerance, unfair discrimination, hate speech, sexual harassment, gender-based violence and retaliation, and all other forms of discrimination. The University has committed itself to the eradication of these practices, and in 2019 adopted an Anti-Discrimination Policy, in order to realise procedural and substantive equality in all respects. As the lecturers and course presenters we acknowledge the extreme harm that racism, sexism, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination have inflicted and continue to inflict on our society and communities. We commit to ensuring that there is an open dialogue between ourselves and all the students in the module on curriculum content and teaching method which may be interpreted as discriminatory or exclusive. We undertake to ensure that any such concerns are raised without fear of intimidation or recrimination. Moreover, we resolve to continuously improve the teaching of this course in a way that allows the inclusion of all the students enrolled for this course, building their self-confidence and self-efficacy, and supporting the ultimate goal of substantive equality for all persons. The choices that we make about curriculum content and pedagogy (what and how we teach) are also choices about what kind of society we wish to build. In this declaration of intent, we resolve to be part of and give substance to the University's antidiscrimination and transformation endeavours. ________________________________________________________________________________ (END OF DOCUMENT) Version date: Feb-2025
