CS1315:
Introduction to Media
Computation
Introduction to Course &
Administrivia
Lecturer
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Bill Leahy
email: bleahy@cc.gatech.edu
Office: CCB 113
Office Hours
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Monday/Friday: 10:00 - 11:00
Tuesday/Thursday: 1:30 - 2:30
and by appointment
History and Purpose of Course
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Created in response to attitudes about CS1321, and CS1,
nationally
Goal is to teach computation in terms relevant to non-CS
and non-ECE majors
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Inspired in part by ECE’s DSP First
Developed with an advisory board from across campus:
LCC, Applied Physiology, Math, ECE, CETL
Caveats
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This course is differently paced than CS1321
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The content is different: Less programming, more
math, more general CS concepts (like networking)
However, you WILL still be asked to learn to
program!
You will not have fulfilled the pre-requisite for
CS1322 by taking this class
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But CS1316 (Representations of Structure and
Behavior) will be offered this Spring, and that fulfills
the pre-req for CS1322
Course Objectives
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Students will be able to read, understand, modify, and
assemble from pieces programs that achieve useful
communication tasks: Image manipulation, sound
synthesis and editing, text (e.g., HTML) creation and
manipulation, and digital video effects.
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We will always give you examples to use when we ask
you to program
Students will learn what computer science is about,
especially data representations, algorithms, encodings,
forms of programming.
Students will learn useful computing skills, including
graphing and database concepts
def clearRed(picture):
for pixel in getPixels(picture):
setRed(pixel,0)
def greyscale(picture):
for p in getPixels(picture):
redness=getRed(p)
greenness=getGreen(p)
blueness=getBlue(p)
luminance=(redness+blueness+greenness)/3
setColor(p,
makeColor(luminance,luminance,luminance))
def negative(picture):
for px in getPixels(picture):
red=getRed(px)
green=getGreen(px)
blue=getBlue(px)
negColor=makeColor(255-red,255-green,255-blue)
setColor(px,negColor)
def chromakey2(source,bg):
for p in getPixels(source):
if (getRed(p)+getGreen(p) < getBlue(p)):
setColor(p,getColor(getPixel(bg,getX(p),getY(p))))
return source
How grades will be determined
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Lablets - five (10%)
Pre-quizzes and quizzes - three (15%)
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Pre-quizzes are worth 20 points, quizzes 80
Pop-quizzes with PRS (5%)
Homework - six (20%)
Take-home exams - two (10%)
Two in-class midterm exams and one final (40%)
Two in-class midterms are 20% (10% each)
 Final is worth 20%
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OVERALL: Grades are straight scale: 90-100 A, 80-89 B, 70-79 C, 6069 D, 59 or below F
Collaborative for Learning,
Non-Collaborative for Assessment
Collaborative
Non-Collaborative
Lablets
Homework
Take-home exams
Prequiz
Quiz
Midterms and Final
Collaboration ≠ Copying
CS1315
Lablets (5)
Final
Prequiz (3)
Quiz (3)
Pop Quiz
Tests (2)
Homework (6)
Take Home (2)
Lablets (called Labs on swiki)
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How to use your computer to do useful things
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Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML
On your own computer (not in a lab)
At the request of your major
Collaborative
Pre-quizzes and quizzes
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Pre-quizzes are collaborative: Work on them with
your friends to learn the material
Quizzes will be very similar in content, but in
class (15-20 minutes), individual work
Homework
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Programming assignments
Designed to take no more than a couple hours
each
Collaborative
Use these assignments to learn!!!
No Late Assignments Accepted AT ALL (without
prior notification)
Assignments due at 7:00 pm on due date
Take-home exams
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Programming assignments, about the same level
of difficulty as homework
NOT AT ALL COLLABORATIVE
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You
You
You
You
may
may
may
may
not
not
not
not
talk to anyone about it
have another student write it for you
work with anyone
look at one another’s code
THIS IS AN EXAM!
Midterms and Final
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Two midterms
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Both all-class-period long
Final is worth more than the midterms
Class website
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http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/cs1315
This is where you’ll find everything associated
with the class—editable by you!
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Syllabus
Homeworks/Projects/Labs
TA Information
Soapbox and Personals
Announcements (You are responsible for these!
Check daily!!)
Text
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Book from Pearson:
“Introduction to Media Computation:
A Multimedia Cookbook in Python”
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SECOND EDITION
First edition has about 80% same content, but
chapter and page numbers will be different
CD with software and media attached to book
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JES (our programming environment) also on CoWeb
PRS
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Everyone is required to purchase their own PRS
transmitter (from the bookstore)
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You can use one that you already own, if you do
We will have frequent questions (mini popquizzes) in lecture.
Sum of these will be worth 5% of your final
grade.
No Cell Phones or Pagers
Permitted
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Emergencies happen
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Let me know before class if you are expecting a
phone or page and need to leave it on
But in any event, if you get a call or page, you are
expected to LEAVE THE LECTURE.
COME TO CLASS!
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Approach of the class is apprenticeship
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I’ll demonstrate a lot of what you need to do
You will see me make mistakes.
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You will also see how to fix them
If you’re not here, you will not see the
demonstrations
Organization of the class
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Mandatory lectures Monday and Friday in large
lecture hall format
Save the Wednesday for tests and maybe help
sessions.
Mandatory breakout sessions between lectures
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In smaller (~50 student) sections
Emphasis on demonstrations, Q&A, etc.
You are welcome to bring your laptop for hands-on
help
START LAB 1!
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It’s due Friday!
TALK TO Us! (Please!)
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We really want to know if the class is working and how it
doesn’t work
Comment areas on CoWeb
 Anonymous areas on CoWeb
 Office hours, recitations, etc.
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