Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts
Summer 2011 – Web Delivery Pilot
Computer Programming I
Instructors:
Carl Frank & Nick Seward
Email: FrankC@asmsa.org,
SewardN@asmsa.org
Tutoring: on-line.
Required Texts:
Oracle Internet Academy Special Edition, Java 2: A Beginner’s Guide by Herbert Schildt.
McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2002.
Java Software Solutions for AP* Computer Science by Lewis, Loftus, and Cocking.
Addison Wesley, 2004.
Credit
Successful completion of this course, enables the student to transition into
Programming II upon arrival at ASMSA. After the student successfully completes
Programming II, the student would receive credit for Programming I, and Programming
II. Note: Dual Credit – Programming I is a Dual Credit Course, the student would
receive their college credit for the web delivered offering of Programming I upon
successful completion of Programming II.
Course Description
An introduction to programming and problem solving. The language used is Java. No
prior programming experience is required. Good programming style is stressed. Topics
included are: documentation of programs, stepwise refinement, structuring programs,
top-down design of programs, linear program flow, decision structures, and loops.
Introduction to sorts, and classes. This course is a dual credit course. Successful
completion of the course will earn you four hours of college credit from the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock. Prerequisite: algebra II (or consent of instructor).
Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, the student should have acquired a basic
understanding of the following concepts:
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The importance of internal documentation, including the use of meaningful
identifiers, comment sections, and ample use of whitespace for readability
The arithmetic operations, order of operations, casting, and to be able to use
these to solve common business and scientific problems
Keyboard input and console output
Decision structures
Loops
Arrays
Strings and basic string operations
File input and output
Introduction to classes
There will be a number of homework/lab assignments and quizzes throughout the
summer, and one exam. The exam is a final which will be taken on the ASMSA Campus
at the beginning of the fall semester.
The overall course grade will be determined by using a weighted or category average.
The score will be based on the standard 10 point grading scale. The grading scale and
the maximum possible percentage points for each category will be as follows:
Grading Scale
The grades will be based on the ASMSA grading scale.
90 - 100 A
80 - 89 B
70 - 79 C
60 - 69 D
0 - 59 F
Grade Composition
Exam - 40.00%
Homework- 40.00%
Quizzes 20.00%
Attendance/Tardiness
Daily attendance/participation is not a requirement. Students are expected to work at
their own pace, as long as they satisfactorily complete assignments by the scheduled
benchmarks throughout the summer as provided by the instructors. Regular and active
participation in class is essential to satisfactory academic performance.
Missing/Late Work
The homework/lab assignments are a vital component of the course. All assignments
are to be submitted to the instructor via email prior to the due dates presented to the
students at the beginning of the course, unless otherwise specified by the instructor.
Each day that an assignment is late, a penalty will be assessed (refer to the
Student/Parent Handbook). The assessment is as follows: 1 day late – 15%, 2 days late
– 30%, 3 days late – 50%, greater than 3 days late – 100%.
Quizzes may be given at any time. Quizzes that are missed due to an unexcused
absence will be given a score of 0. Missed quizzes due to excused absences will not be
held against the student.
Schedule Conflicts
If a schedule conflicts occurs due to vacation, illness, etc, please contact the instructor
about the possibility of alternative due dates.
Acceptable Use Policy
Please refer to the Acceptable Use of Electronic Information Resources (refer to the
Student/Parent Handbook). Note that for the student to keep his or her account he or
she must abide by the policies set forth in the handbook. Loss of computer privileges
will have a considerable negative impact on your grade. If you do not know what the
Acceptable Use of Electronic Information Resources policy is, ask your teacher and he
will locate a copy for you.
Email Communication
A vital component of this course is frequent student-teacher and student-student
communication. At times, it is necessary to do so asynchronously. Whenever the
teacher is unavailable the preferred method of contact is through email.
Another resource for electronic communication is the class wiki. Note that each course
document has an associated discussion tab. You may be required to participate in
discussions with your teachers and peers using this facility. Use of this wiki is required.
Assignments will be disseminated via the wiki. Students should check the wiki daily.
Students are encouraged to utilize these asynchronous tools to facilitate the
understanding of course material. Note: Students are still encouraged to use the wiki,
but the course has been moved to a Moodle site due to a server crash.
Academic Honesty
The Student Parent Handbook clearly states ASMSA policies regarding academic
honesty.
Final Exam
The Final Exam for Programming Language I is scheduled to take place during the first
week at ASMSA during the fall semester (junior orientation). The exam will divided into
two components, a written exam component and a performance component.