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ECS15
Fall 2014
Prof. Xin Liu www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu/ECS15/F14/15.htm
Xin Liu

ECS15
•
Contact the Student Disability Center at sdc@ucdavis.edu
.
•
Notetakers are paid a stipend of $25 per unit,
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• prerequisites:
None.
• Class: MWF 10:00a.m.-10:50a.m.;
• Labs:
• A01 M 12:10p-3:00p; 2020 SLB
• A02 M 3:10 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.; 2020 SLB
• A03 W 1:10p.m.- 4 p.m.; 2020 SLB
• A04 F 2:10 p.m.- 5 p.m.; 2020 SLB
• Additional Lab hour: M 12:10-3 2060 SciLab (No TA)
• Is there a lab session today?
• Can I go to a different lab?
Xin Liu
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ECS15
• Instructor: Prof. Xin Liu
– www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu
• Instructor office hour:
– M 11a.m.-2:00p.m. at 3013 Kemper Hall
– Extra office hours announced when necessary
• TAs:
– Gabriel Castillo Cortes at gcastillo@ucdavis.edu
– Huaguang (Chad) Song at hso@ucdavis.edu
– Sharmin Jalal at sjalal@ucdavis.edu
• TA office hour and location
– same as the lab sessions
• Reader (for the term paper):
– William Dyer at wdyer@ucdavis.edu
Xin Liu
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ECS15
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Optional Textbooks
– Michael Dawson, Python programming for the absolute beginner,
2nd edition, Thomson Course Technology, ISBN: 1-59863-112-8.
– Spraul, V. Anton, Computer Science Made Simple , Broadway
Books, 2005, ISBN: 0-7679-1707-3.
– Brain Kernighan, D is for Digital , ISBN: 1-4637-338-95
• Class website:
– www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu/ECS15/F14/15.htm
– Check for notes
– Notes and useful information links will be posted and updated .
– Why some notes/assignments are not accessible (yet)?
• Announcement:
– Emailed to the mailing list
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Syllabus, notes, assignments
– http://web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu/ECS15/F14/15.htm
• Discussion, questions/answers
– https://piazza.com/ucdavis/fall2014/ecs15/home
– Sign up!
• Assignment hand-in and grades
– Smartsite
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Pay attention to announcement in your email
• Sign up Piazza
– Sign up link in your email
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Computers (3-4 weeks)
– Hardware: motherboard, processor, memory, I/O devices, etc.
– Software and application:
– Graphics: image, video, 2D, 3D, game,
– History and ethics
• Python Programming (3-4 weeks)
– Getting started
– Basic concepts: type, variable, I/O
– Loops: while, for, if
• The Internet (2-3 weeks)
– Layered architecture, web, email, p2p, etc.
– LAN, WiFi, cellular
– Security and privacy
– Search (do you google?)
Xin Liu
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ECS15
• Computer Literacy
• Basic knowledge of computers
– Understand basic hardware/software components
– Order a computer
– Configure your wireless router
• Basic understanding of software tools
– Word process, ppt, excel, access, etc.
– How to use them to your benefits
– How to learn new tools
Xin Liu
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ECS15
• Internet drastically changes the world
– Business, work, social, life, family, shopping, entertainment, etc.
• What do these things mean?
– Wikipedia, Web 2.0, Long tail
• Internet is reaching beyond PCs
• Security and privacy
– IRS sending you an email?
– Are you anonymous on the Internet?
– How to keep yourself safe?
Xin Liu
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ECS15
The above cartoon by Peter Steiner has been reproduced from The New Yorker, (Vol.69 (LXIX) no. 20) only for academic discussion.
Xin Liu

ECS15
• What is a program?
• You can handle little problems yourself
• You know when you hire someone how big a job it is (like going to a mechanic)
• You have some idea of what is possible.
• A good programmer has more job options
(you’ll need more than this one class, though)
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Useful and popular
– Great for interfacing one program to another
– Widely used in industry –Google, ILM,
NASA….
• Free
• Easy to get started with
– Lots of “libraries” (add-ons) that do things like sound editing, computational biology, Web database access…..
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• ECS 10: Programming in Python
– You will get full credit (after taking ECS 15)
– GE class
• ECS 30: More intensive class for those with some programming experience (basic, c, java), learn C++, required for ECS majors.
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Xin Liu

ECS15
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All lab assignments require individual efforts. Discussions are allowed, copying NOT.
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Late policy
– Full credit if on time
– 50% if within 24 hours
– 0 after 24 hours
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Regrading Policy
– One week regrading period after grades returned to students
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Incomplete will not be granted
– Unless proved emergency with filled emergency form
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Academic Integrity
– Writing, commercial software for checking plagiarism
– Lab assignments
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Please include “
ECS 15
” in your subject line, to me and to TAs.
• Why?
• One day response, TA/reader, myself.
• If your requests not responded, let me know.
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Xin Liu

> R U handing back midterms Th?
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ECS15 Xin Liu

ECS15
Hi Gary,
This is Shareen, from your Thursday discussion section. I was wondering if you are going to be handing back the midterms this week?
Thanks,
Shareen

It is also best to address your email to one person , possibly cc to others.
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Course and term-paper related:
– https://piazza.com/ucdavis/fall2014/ecs15/home
• Lab related:
– go to your labs sessions (highly recommended) or
Piazza.
• Term paper grading related:
– William Dyer at wdyer@ucdavis.edu
• Lab grading related:
– send to the grading TA of that lab
• Others:
– Email one of the first two TAs or the instructor.
Xin Liu
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ECS15
• Grading
– Term paper ( 20%)
• Computer in an area of your interest
– Lab assignments ( 35% )
• 9 small projects (basic computer skills, basic programming)
• No homework
– Midterm 20% (one mid-term)
• Close book, one sheet of notes allowed
• In class
– Final
25%
• Close book, one sheet of notes allowed
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Computers are rational
– Understand , not memorize
• Active classroom participation
• Do your own assignments
– Help you understand
– Help you do well in exams
– Help you in your later studies
– Projects and term paper are “easy” grades.
• Sufficient time, sufficient help
• Follow the lecture and notes
• Final review
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• College is different, for most, very different
• First year, and for some, second year, can be very challenging
• Course work and extra curriculum activities
• A lot of freedom, independence, and responsibilities
• Growth is when one overcomes challenges.
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Test your mindset: Intelligence is something about a person that he/she can’t change very much.
– Strongly agree to strongly disagree
• Fixed mindset vs. growth mindset
• Can one learn to be good at computers?
– Yes, absolutely.
– And yes, absolutely worth your time and effort
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• Google “growth mindset” for more information.
Xin Liu

ECS15
• Go to your registered Lab session if possible.
• Priority goes to students registered in the lab session
• TAs will be there the whole time to help you.
• Joint with TAs’ office hours
• Yes, you can go and ask any question related to the class.
• Please let the TAs talk about the lab assignment first.
• Lab assignments are posted two weeks in advance
• All due on Friday 6pm , on smartsite
• Grades posted one week after due date.
• Please check your grade and TA comments (if any).
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• We have two computer labs you can use
– SLB 2020 (where your lab sessions are)
– Sometimes used by other classes
– M 12:10-3 2060 SciLab
• Of course, you can also do everything on your own computer
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Advanced Word, due on Friday, Oct. 17
• Excel (I) , due on Friday, Oct. 24
• Excel (II), due on Friday, Oct. 31
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Browsing the Internet, due on Friday, Nov. 7
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Starting Python, due on Friday, Nov. 14
• Jeopardy, due on Friday, Nov. 21
• Wheel of Fortune, due on Monday, Dec. 1
• Create your webpage, due on Friday, Dec. 5
• TBD, due on Friday, Dec. 12
• Sequence may change
Xin Liu
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ECS15
• I may change sequence to better coordinate with classroom material
• 1 lab assignment per week
• Assignments posted
– You can go to your lab sessions at least twice.
• Do not be afraid to ask for help!
• We are here to help.
• Computer related questions are much easier to be answered when demonstrated.
• Google.
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• 20% of the total grade
• Credit for writing
• ~2500 words (around 10 pages)
• A research paper on a topic related to computers that interests you
• An opportunity to learn some detailed information and how they are used in some area of interest to you.
• Lecture on writing the term paper
• Start early!
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Introduction & Prospectus Due Friday, Oct. 24
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Progress Report Due Friday, Nov. 7
• Draft Due Friday, Nov. 21
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The paper itself Due Friday, Dec. 5
• All due at 6pm
• Hard copy samples available for viewing
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Xin Liu

ECS15
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Check a list of potential topics at the class website
• computers in education
– for teaching reading
– for teaching music
• computers in biology
– bioinformatics
– computational biology
• computers in art, architecture, and design
– computer-generated and computer-supported art
– computer-aided design
• digital libraries
– legal issues (e.g., intellectual property)
• music on the Internet
– legal issues and debates
– technologies
Xin Liu
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ECS15
• Internet on entertainment
– P2p file sharing
– Video-on-demand
• Netflix’s video-streaming service
• $1.99 TV show downloads from Amazon/iTune
– E-books
• Amazon’s Kindle and $9.99 book offering
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Social networking websites and their impacts
• Online advertising
– Google?
• Security and privacy
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• computer and/or Internet addiction
• failures regarding computers in schools
• famous computer viruses and "worms"
• "computer illiteracy" or lack of access to computers as a problem in society
• Digital divide
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• Projects and term paper are good for your grades.
• Plan early.
• Do them well.
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Xin Liu

ECS15
• I am constantly looking for ways to make this class better, more useful, more fun
• All comments/suggestions welcome.
• Anonymous if you like.
• http://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu/ECS15/F14/15.htm
– How do you find it?
• Questions?
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Xin Liu