Session 0
Syllabus
CSC 104
Programming Logic
and Problem Solving
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
Pearson Custom
Computer Science
CSC 104
Nassau Community College
1
Course Logistics
Course Title
CSC 104 JA – Programming Logic and
Problem Solving
Duration
January 20, 2015 – May 18, 2015 (see the Spring 2015 Calendar)
Days
Monday
12:30pm-1:45pm B Cluster - Room B111
Wednesday 12:30pm-1:45pm B Cluster - Room B111
CRN
46362
Credits
3.0
Instructor
Vincent Costa
E-Mail
vincent.costa@ncc.edu
IM, Google+
papacosta@gmail.com
Office Hours
RM C2078 Tuesday & Thursday 1:00PM-2:15 PM or email or
Google+
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
2
Course Overview and Description
• The course is an introduction to programming logic
and problem solving including programming concepts
and terminology. The focus of the course is on critical
thinking skills necessary to write computer programs
and provides students with an introduction to
programming without focusing on the details of
programming syntax. This course is intended for students
with little or no object-oriented programming experience.
Students who have completed CMP 104 will not get credit for
CSC 104. (3 lecture hours).
• Prerequisites: Satisfied all MAT, ENG 001 and RDG 001
remediation requirements prior to starting the course
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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Required Text
• An Introduction to Programming Using
Visual Basic 2012 by David Schneider, 9th Edition,
Pearson, 2013, ISBN-13: 978-0-13-337850-4 .This is
the full text and is not needed.
• You should get the Custom Edition, which only
uses Chapters1-6, It has a Custom ISBN:
9781269238458
• This is sold only at NCC bookstore, $60
• However, if you want you can use the full text
version or the electronic version which is $57.99
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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Required Text
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
5
Background Knowledge/Materials
• Prior knowledge of navigating through a
Windows environment, saving and locating
files helpful
• Prior knowledge of email, using attachments
and browsing the web helpful
• Will need a USB external storage device
(such as a flash drive or jump drive) to save their
work
• Work at home: need to install Visual Studio, a
web browser, and WinZip
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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Course Objectives & Philosophy
• Focus on the problem solving and logic
skills needed to write programs
• Understand the solutions to problems
and how those solutions can be applied to
new problems
• Expose you to programming concepts
and terminology (how to code)
• Introduce the abstract nature of objectoriented programming
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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Course Objectives & Philosophy
• Computer programming is problem solving
• A computer program is a set of
instructions that tells the computer how to
solve a problem using the limited tools and
vocabulary that it understands
• The first step in learning how to program is
to understand the problem being posed
and figure out how it can be solved.
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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Course Objectives & Philosophy
• Focus of the first third of this course will be
on building problem solving skills
• You will be presented with a variety of
problems, puzzles and games which you
will solve without a computer
• Prepares you for the rest of the course
during which you will use the problem solving
skills you have developed to understand and
create programs for the computer
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
9
Grades
Assessment
Exams (2 exams)
Points
40% (20% each)
Final Exam
25%
Homework
30%
Participation
5%
• Assignments not handed in by the due date
will receive a grade of zero!
• The rubric for the grading may be adjusted to
harmonize with the pace of the class
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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Tentative Outline
Unit 1:
Unit 2:
Unit 3:
Building Problem
Solving Skills
Understanding
Programming basics
in Visual Basic
Programming in
Visual Basic
Exam 1: 2/6
Exam 2: 4/9
Final Exam:
5/14
• Dates of exams may be adjusted to account for progress
of the class as a whole
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
11
Attendance
• You are expected to attend all classes, arrive on
time and stay until class is dismissed. This counts as
participation!
• It is your responsibility to find out what was
covered in class and makeup any work missed as a
result of an absence or lateness prior to the next
class meeting
• You are expected to hand in all assignments by
the due date regardless of attendance
• Participation is important to fully appreciate the
subject. If you cannot keep up with the sessions for
some reason (travel, business commitments, etc.),
please let me know
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
12
Make-Ups
• Makeup exams will be not given and missing an
exam will result in a grade of zero
• If you can’t make and exam, contact me prior to
missing the class and provide a valid, documented
reason for missing an exam or assignment
• If you are absent on the day an assignment is
due you are still responsible for handing in the
assignment electronically before the deadline
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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Class Rules
• Unless specifically stated otherwise, assignments are
to be completed individually. You are encouraged to
discuss the understanding of a particular issue or class
material with fellow students, but code and solutions
have to be your own effort
• Academic honesty is to be taken very seriously. If you
submit work that references another person’s efforts,
then you must properly attribute it to that person,
otherwise it is plagiarism and you will receive zero
credits and may be given an F for the course
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
14
Withdrawal
• The last day to receive an automatic "W" for
this class is March 6th
• However students may request a “W” any time
prior to the final exam. To receive a "W" the
student MUST file a signed drop/add form
with the registrar.
• If a student does not file the appropriate
paperwork and stops attending class, the student
will receive a "UW" (Unofficial Withdrawal).
• A "UW" grade carries the same academic value as a
failing grade ("F") when calculating the GPA
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
15
Computer Learning Center
• Located in B225 and…
• …it has all the necessary software for this course
• A valid NCC ID is required to gain access to the
learning center, which means you have to have your
picture taken and you NEED the card
• You should also avail yourself of further study and/or
educational assistance available there
• These services are to be considered an integral part
of the course work and will help the student master
the necessary knowledge and skills for this course
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
16
Disability Statement
• If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning
disability that may impact on your ability to carry out
the assigned course work, I urge you to contact the
Center for Students with Disabilities(CSD),
Building U, (516 572-7241),TTY(516) 572-7617
• The counselors at CSD will review your concerns
and determine reasonable accommodations you are
entitled to by the Americans with Disabilities Act
and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• All information and documentation pertaining to
personal disability remain confidential
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
17
Simple Ground Rules
• Cell Phones – “Vibrate” or “Airplane Mode”
• Distractions – Twitter, Facebook, Mail,YouTube,
Google, Diigo
• Smart Spaces – Twitter, Mail,YouTube, Google,
Diigo
• Don’t Cheat – selfishness
• Collaborate – selflessness
• Be Mindful – Observe, Absorb, Don’t Judge
• No Hacking – Be respectful
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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Questions
• Any questions?
• There are no dumb questions
• Use the Internet for questions (IM,
Discussion Board, Email) if necessary
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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Welcome!
• So welcome to the class. I hope you
enjoy it.
• Work hard and have fun!
Prof. Vincent Costa
Nassau Community College
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