CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY POMONA
ACADEMIC SENATE
GENERAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE
REPORT TO
THE ACADEMIC SENATE
GE-007-067
CS 218/PHL 218, LOGIC AND COMPUTING
B1 GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE
General Education Committee
Date: 10/31/07
Executive Committee
Received and Forwarded
Date: 1/16/08
Academic Senate
Date: 1/23/08
First Reading
2/20/08
Second Reading
GE-007-067, CS 218/PHL 218, LOGIC AND COMPUTING
B1 GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE
2
BACKGROUND:
Justification as a B1 General Education course: the Cal Poly Pomona Curriculum
Development Guide, Chapter 6, General Education states that “Courses in this area will
require the student to use basic mathematical skills to develop mathematical reasoning,
investigative and problem solving abilities. Development of these goals will include
applications from/to real life situations” (p. 48).
The proposed course fits this description in that it helps students learn the concepts of
reasoning and problem solving through application of the formal techniques of symbolic logic
in making arguments. In addition, since the course stresses analyzing and evaluating natural
language arguments--that is, arguments in English –students will gain the skills necessary to
apply these techniques in “real life” situations.
RESOURCES CONSULTED:
Claudia Pinter-Lucke, Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies; Amar Raheja,
Computer Science Department; Peter Ross, Philosophy Department; Dept. Chair, Computer
Science Dept.; Dept. Chair, Philosophy Dept.; Math Department Chair and Faculty;
Mandayam Srinivas, Associate Dean of Science and Dale Turner, Associate Dean of CLASS
REVISIONS:
The committee felt that the ECO was well written and only needed minor modification. In the
Evaluation of Outcomes section the headings and sub-headings were restructured to be
more appropriate for area B1.
RECOMMENDATION:
The GE committee unanimously approved the course and now forwards it to the Academic
Senate for consideration.
GE-007-067, CS 218/PHL 218, LOGIC AND COMPUTING
B1 GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE
CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA
2006-2007
EXPANDED COURSE OUTLINE
Course Title:
Course Number:
Prepared By:
Logic and Computing
CS 218/PHL 218
Amar Raheja, Associate Professor, Computer Science Department
Peter Ross, Associate Professor, Philosophy Department
Date Prepared:
Last Date Revised:
November 2006
November 14, 2007
I.
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Catalog Description:
CS 218/PHL 218 Logic and Computing (4)
Introduction to formal techniques for analyzing and evaluating natural language arguments.
Background for historical development of the use of logic in computing. 4 lectures/problem
solving.
II.
Required Background or Experience:
None.
III.
Expected Outcomes:
This course will focus on the underlying formal structure of natural language, and techniques
for drawing out this formal structure. The course will then make the connection between the
historical development of these techniques and the development of the use of algorithms in
computer science.
Justification as a B1 General Education course: the The Cal Poly Pomona Curriculum
Development Guide, Chapter 6, General Education states that courses in area B1 “Courses in
this area will require the student to use basic mathematical skills to develop mathematical
reasoning, investigative and problem solving abilities. Development of these goals will include
applications from/to real life situations” (p. 48). The proposed course fits this description in
that it helps students learn the concept of deductive validity through application of the formal
techniques of symbolic logic (namely, use of truth tables and natural deduction) to arguments.
In addition, since the course emphasizes analyzing and evaluating natural language arguments-that is, arguments in English as opposed to a formal language--it emphasizes application of
these formal techniques from/to real life situations.
Moreover, Executive Order 595 (General Education-Breadth Requirements) states with respect
to courses in area B generally: “Instruction approved for fulfillment of this requirement [of 18
quarter units in area B] is intended to impart knowledge of the facts and principles which form
the foundations of living and non-living systems. Such studies should promote understanding
and appreciation of the methodologies of science as investigative tools…. In addition,
particular attention should be given to the influence which the acquisition of scientific
GE-007-067, CS 218/PHL 218, LOGIC AND COMPUTING
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B1 GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE
knowledge has had on the development of the world’s civilizations, not only as expressed in the
past but also in present times” (p. 4). The proposed course promotes understanding an
appreciation of the methodologies of science as investigative tools in that formal deductive
logic is the basis of the hypothetico-deductive method, which provides the standard
characterization of the scientific method. In addition, the course’s focus on the impact of
formal deductive logic on the development of computer science provides a case study in which
the acquisition of scientific knowledge (namely, the development of formal deductive logic in
the late 19th and early 20th centuries) has influenced the development of the world’s
civilizations.
At completion of the course students will be able to:
1. Characterize the fundamental concepts of formal logic.
2. Employ the fundamental techniques for evaluating formal reasoning
3. Characterize the formal/mathematical foundations of computing.
IV.
Instructional Materials:
Possible Core Texts:
Patrick J. Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic, 9th Edition (Belmont, Cal.: Wadsworth
Publishing Co., 2006)
Virginia Klenk, Understanding Symbolic Logic, 4th Edition (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall, 2002)
R. L. Simpson, Essentials of Symbolic Logic (Vancouver: Broadview Press, 1999)
Pratt & Patel, Introduction to Computing Systems, 2nd Edition (McGraw Hill, 2004)
Stefano Ceri, Dino Mandrioli, Licia Sbattella, The Art and Craft of Computing (Addison
Wesley, 1999)
Additional texts:
Mi Lu, Arithmetic and Logic in Computer Systems (John Wiley 2004)
V.
Minimum Student Materials:
Course textbook(s); note taking materials
VI.
Minimum College Facilities:
Classroom, whiteboard or chalkboard, suitable for 25+ students. Audio-visual equipment.
VII.
Course Outline:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
The concepts of validity and soundness
Truth table techniques for evaluation of validity
Translation of natural language arguments into symbolic form
Natural deduction techniques for proof of validity
Introduction to concept of algorithm
GE-007-067, CS 218/PHL 218, LOGIC AND COMPUTING
B1 GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE
F.
Formal logic in algorithms
G.
Flowchart representation of algorithms
H.
Overview of simple algorithms like average, search, sort etc.
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VIII. Instructional Methods:
Lecture, example problem solving, student involvement in problem solving.
IX.
Evaluation of Outcomes:
A. Student Assessment for Grading Performance
Because of the mathematical nature of the course, encouraging students to write in complete
sentences with correct grammar will address the writing component.
Student performance will be evaluated by means of the following:
A.
Weekly homework
B.
Exams (at least two midterms and a final exam)
B. Assessment of Course
With respect to the expected outcomes of this course and the goals and objectives of the B1
component of the GE program, student performance will be assessed (by means of the
techniques stated below) with regard to the development of mathematical reasoning, including
the application of formal techniques to arguments in English. In addition, students will be
given a questionnaire at the end of the term which will ask for input as to whether the course
has helped them develop their mathematical, investigative and problem solving abilities, as
well as whether the course has promoted understanding of the role of formal deductive logic in
the development of computer science.