Online Course Syllabus CS320: C Programming Important Notes: This document provides an overview of expectations for this online course and is subject to change prior to the term start. Changes may also occur during the term due to faculty or SPS Distance Learning course updates. Some links may only be active once the term starts. For this course you must check the Regis Bookstore: http://www.efollett.com for the most current online course material information. Course Description(six bullets follow) Course Outcomes Required Course Materials Grading Criteria Description of Course Elements Important Note Assignments Course Description This intermediate computer-programming course focuses on the major elements of the ANSI C language. It presents computer problem-solving techniques using the C language as a tool. It includes data typing, assignments, flow control, repetition, modular programming with functions, arrays, strings, structures, data files, and comparisons with other high-level languages. Prerequisites In order to successfully complete this course, students are expected to have completed the course prerequisite, CS341 (Data Structures). Please note that CS241 (Control Structures) is a prerequisite to CS341, and therefore also prerequisite to this class. You need to have taken a minumum of two college level programming courses, prior to taking this course. Students are expected to have a working knowledge of the following topics and proficiency in the following skills:(four bullets follow)
Working knowledge of the DOS or Windows operating system and 40 hours of hands-on experience using a personal computer. Specific areas include: disk formatting, word processing/editing and file creation, maintenance, and printing, Course Outline Practice with problem definition, solution construction, top-down design techniques, algorithmic development, documentation, testing, debugging, and maintenance (CS241 and CS341), Familiarity with control structures including: IF-THEN, CASE, FOR, DO-WHILE, and REPEAT-UNTIL (CS241), and data structures including: strings, arrays, and records (CS341), and Working and theoretical knowledge of sequential and direct access files (CS341) 5. Familiarity with pointer variables, dynamic memory allocation, and linked lists (CS341). Week 1: Introduction to C Week 2: More Control Structures and C Functions Week 3: Files, Pointers, and Arrays Week 4: Files, Formatted I/O and Character Strings Week 5: Structures and Linked Lists Week 6: Ordered Lists, Command Line Arguments, and Binary Files Week 7: Stacks and Queues, the Preprocessor, and Recursion Week 8: Course Wrap-Up Note: Specific course outcomes for each week are located in the Week-by-Week area of this course. Course Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to achieve the following five outcomes: Define, analyze, and solve several small problems. The problem resolution will utilize ANSI standard C syntax,
Execute, test, and debug C language programs of moderate size that utilize structured programming techniques, producing error free programs, Attain skill in the effective use of debugging tools, Acquire knowledge in the ANSI C implementation of such topics as pointer variables, control structures, data structures, and file I/O, and Develop ANSI C language programs that manipulate arrays, structures, linked lists, and I/O files. Required Course Materials Required Johnsonbaugh, R. & Kalin, M. (1996). Applications Programming in ANSI C (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall. You can also access the author's Web site, which contains some useful resources, including program files (http://condor.depaul.edu/~mkalin/ed3/). Optional Text Deitel, H. M., & Deitel, P. J. (2004). C How to Program (4th ed.). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall. Recommended Software You must have a C compiler to successfully complete the course. Recommended compilers are: (two bullets follow) Microsoft Visual C++.NET compiler (standard version), or Bloodshed Dev C++. Grading Criteria Grades in the course are based on points earned by the student and will be awarded according to the following components:(four bullets(four bullets follow) follow) Lab projects 1 and 2 = 24% (12% each) Lab projects 3 and 4 = 26% (13% each)
Quizzes (3) = 42% (14% each) Grade Structure Forum participation = 8% TOTAL = 100% Letter grades will be awarded according to the number of points earned as indicated in the following scale: Letter Grade Numerical Grade Range Quality Points Description A 100-93 4.00 Outstanding Scholarship A- 92-90 3.67 B+ 89-87 3.33 B 86-83 3.00 Superior Work B- 82-80 2.67 C+ 79-77 2.33 C 76-73 2.00 Satisfactory C- 72-70 1.67 D+ 69-67 1.33 D 66-63 1.00 Unsatisfactory D- 62-60 0.67 F Below 60 0.00 Failure
Incomplete ("I/F") grades: Only in extreme emergencies will a student be given an incomplete grade. An incomplete grade results when a student is unable to complete any exam by the last day of class, or turn in assignments that would otherwise result in a passing grade, DUE TO EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. The reason supporting such a grade MUST be provided to the instructor, IN WRITING, before the last day of class. In all cases, the incomplete grade will indicate an "F" status. If the grade is approved, the requirements must then be completed within the following 30 days. Failure to complete the requirements within this time frame will result in a permanent grade of "F". While not mandatory, missing homework assignments, still eligible for partial credit, should also be completed during this time. Please note that the instructor will be occupied with other courses during succeeding terms and WILL NOT be available for help after the end of the current term. Description of Course Elements Lab (Programming) Assignments Each lab assignment will involve writing programs using the concepts discussed in the book and class. You must submit the following items for each lab assignment: (four bullets follow) A problem description describing the problem the program solves, in your own words, The executable file and the data files (where applicable) used to test the program, A copy of your source code (must follow Documentation and Coding Standards), and A copy of your test plans and test results. Each lab assignment will be graded according to the following criteria:(five bullets follow) Problem Description - Adequately describes the entire problem. Source Code - Code is easy to read code, formatted nicely (spaces/blank lines used) - Follows the coding standards (including headers)
- Includes In-Line Documentation Coding Style - The program is modular - The C programming language is used correctly - Complexity is minimized and efficiency maximized Functionality - There are no compilation/logic/formatting errors, etc. - The program solves assigned problem Testing - The Test Plan lists actual data values used to test every possible decision, and lists what results are expected for each test. - The Test Results show what the program produced, using the data values from your Test Plan. Quizzes Quiz questions will be cumulative. They will be taken from reading assignments and class presentations through the night before the test. The questions may include definitions, syntax, operators, and specific functions. There may also be code (both reading and writing). Forum Participation The Forum is your primary link to other students and to your facilitator. Your facilitator will post any information and/or additional assignments to the Forum. You will communicate with your facilitator and the other students in the class via the Forum. Each student is expected to participate in the Forum weekly in the following ways:(four bullets follow) By responding to instructor-initiated questions, By posting questions about the course materials, By posting an summary of your week s experiences at the end of each week, and
By responding to the postings of other students. You are expected to read and react to your fellow student's posting, as this is an ideal way to share insights and strategies. You should always check the Forum first thing Monday morning. It is also advisable to check the Forum every time you log in. Important Note The highly accelerated pace of this course requires students to take a great deal of responsibility for their own learning outcomes. Students are expected to review all course content pages in the Week-by-Week on-line section of the course, read all pages in the Weekly Readers, and actively participate in discussions in the Forum. Outside of class, students should expect a minimum of 15-20 hours per week of study, homework assignments, and/or programming projects. Historically, programming classes have required some students to spend a significant amount of time programming. If your programming skills are not current, you may need to spend more than 20 hours per week outside of class on the programming projects. If you are not willing or able to spend the necessary time, please reconsider whether this is the appropriate time to take this course. Warning: We recommend that you do not take other courses at the same time as this course. Online Course Assignments CS320 View the content in the Week by Week for full details. Week: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 About This Page The Course Assignments page does not provide all of the specific details and instructions that you need to complete assignments. For specific information about each assignment, go to the Week by Week. Course Dynamics This course is organized around an eight-week program. An on-line week correlates to a sevenday work week, beginning on Monday and ending on the following Sunday. Thus, Week 1 begins on the first day of the semester, which is always Monday. These are the weekly
assignments that you must work on and complete:(seven bullets follow) Initial Textbook Reading Prior to the start of each week, by Monday, complete the offline (i.e., textbook) reading assignment. Week by Week Read the on-line content pages in the Week by Week and the all of the pages in your Weekly Reader. Check the Forum for any additional postings/ assignments from the facilitator. Exercises To check your understanding of the concepts presented in this course and to prepare for the exams, complete the exercises provided in the Weekly Reader. Correct answers are provided to help you check your work. Exam questions may be similar to these exercises, so be sure you understand how to solve them before exam time. Forum Questions/Assignments By midnight Friday, complete any Forum Questions posted by your facilitator and post your answers. (Note: In any particular week, there may or may not be forum questions from your facilitator.) Programming Assignments For each programming assignment, you will e-mail your working code, a program description, a test plan, and your test results to your facilitator. Programs will be due by midnight Sunday, two weeks after they are assigned, except for assignment #4, which will be due by midnight Saturday. Weekly Feedback Summary Each week, by midnight Saturday, write a Weekly Feedback Summary and post it to the Forum, as instructed in the Weekly Assignments pages. By midnight Sunday, read and respond to the Weekly Feedback Summaries of the other students. Exams At the end of weeks 3, 5, and 8 you will have an exam. You can access the exams via the Exams link on the left hand navigation bar of the main Course menu. The exams will be available for access anytime Friday through Sunday of weeks 3, 5 and 8. Note that while the exams are available for several days, you will have a threehour time limit to complete each exam once you begin. Note: You should always check the Forum first thing Monday morning. It is advisable to check the forum every time you log in. Online Assignments Below is a list of all assignments by week. For additional details about individual assignments, see the Week by Week.
Week1: Introduction to C Getting Started(three Orient yourself to the course web site. In particular, explore the Course Week by Week. The course Syllabus is linked from the Course Week by Week. Review the syllabus, and take the Forum Tour which is linked from the Communications tab. By midnight Wednesday, post your introduction to the Forum in the Introduction folder. Your post should include:(five bullets follow) Your name (as registered at Regis) and any nickname you use, Contact information (e-mail address, and work and home telephone numbers), so that the facilitator can contact you, A summary to introduce yourself to the class, Any relevant experience you might have with networking, and What you would like to get out of this course. Note: This assignment is also used to acknowledge your registration to the facilitator and confirm your class participation. If you do not respond to this assignment, you will be considered a "no show" and reported to the registrar as such. Textbook Reading: (four bullets follow) Chapter 0, sections 0.1-0.4, 0.6 Chapter 1, sections 1.1-1.4, 1.6-1.8 Chapter 2, sections 2.1-2.5, 2.7 Chapter 3, section 3.5 Week by Week: Read the Week 1 on-line content pages. Study the Weekly Reader for Week 1 and complete the exercises for each topic (Note: exercise answers are provided at the end of each Weekly Reader so you can determine if you did them correctly). Programming Assignment 1: Begin Programming Lab Assignment #1. Refer to your Week 1 Weekly Reader (section 1.9.1) for assignment details. The program will be due by
midnight, MST of the last day (Sunday) of Week 2. Weekly Feedback Summary: By midnight Saturday, post your Weekly Feedback Summary to the Week 1 Forum as a REPLY to the Weekly Feedback thread. By midnight Sunday, read other student responses and post at least one response. Week 2: More Control Structures and C Functions Textbook Reading: (four bullets follow) Chapter 0, section 0.5 Chapter 1, section 1.5 Chapter 2, section 2.6, 2.8 Chapter 3, sections 3.1-3.4, 3.6-3.9 Chapter 4, sections 4.1-4.5 Week by Week: Read the Week 2 on-line content pages. Study the Weekly Reader for Week 2 and complete all exercises. Programming Assignment 1: By midnight Sunday, complete Programming Lab Assignment #1 that you started in Week 1 and e-mail your completed source code, program description, test plan, and test results to your facilitator. Weekly Feedback Summary: By midnight Saturday, post your Weekly Feedback Summary to the Week 2 Forum as a REPLY to the Weekly Feedback thread. By midnight Sunday, read other student responses and post at least one response. Week 3: Files, Pointers, and Arrays
Textbook Reading: (four bullets follow) Chapter 1, section1.10 Chapter 8, section 8.1 Chapter 5, sections 5.1-5.6, 5.9-5.11 Chapter 6, sections 6.1-6.7 Week by Week: Read the Week 3 on-line content pages. Study the Weekly Reader for Week 3 and complete all exercises. Programming Assignment 2: Begin Programming Lab Assignment #2. Refer to your Week 3 Weekly Reader (section 3.8.1) for assignment details. The program will be due by midnight, MST of the last day (Sunday) of Week 4. Exam 1: By midnight Sunday, complete on-line Exam #1. The exam will cover the material from weeks 1 through 3. You may access the exam anytime Friday through Sunday, but you will have a three-hour time limit in which to complete the exam. Weekly Feedback Summary: By midnight Saturday, post your Weekly Feedback Summary to the Week 3 Forum as a REPLY to the Weekly Feedback thread. By midnight Sunday, read other student responses and post at least one response. Week 4: Files, Formatted I/O and Character Strings Textbook Reading: (two bullets follow) Chapter 8, sections 8.2-8.5 Chapter 5, sections 5.7-5.8 Week by Week: Read the Week 4 on-line content pages. Study the Weekly Reader for Week 4 and complete all exercises. Programming Assignment 2: By midnight Sunday, complete Programming Lab Assignment #2 that you started in Week 3 and e-mail your completed source code, program description, test plan, and test results to your facilitator.
Weekly Feedback Summary: By midnight Saturday, post your Weekly Feedback Summary to the Week 4 Forum as a REPLY to the Weekly Feedback thread. By midnight Sunday, read other student responses and post at least one response. Week 5: Structures and Linked Lists Textbook Reading: (two bullets follow) Chapter 9, sections 9.1-9.6 Chapter 10, sections 10.1-10.3 Week by Week: Read the Week 5 on-line content pages. Study the Weekly Reader for Week 5 and complete all exercises. Programming Assignment 3: Begin Programming Lab Assignment #3. Refer to your Week 5 Weekly Reader (section 5.8.1) for assignment details. The program will be due by midnight, MST of the last day (Sunday) of Week 6. Exam 2: By midnight Sunday, complete on-line Exam #2. The exam will cover the material from weeks 1 and 4, with an emphasis on the material in weeks 3 and 4. You may access the exam anytime Friday through Sunday, but you will have a three-hour time limit in which to complete the exam. Weekly Feedback Summary: By midnight Saturday, post your Weekly Feedback Summary to the Week 5 Forum as a REPLY to the Weekly Feedback thread. By midnight Sunday, read other student responses and post at least one response.. Week 6: Ordered Lists, Command Line Arguments, and Binary Files
Textbook Reading: (three bullets follow) Chapter 6, section 6.8 Chapter 8, sections 8.6-8.8 Chapter 7, sections 7.1-7.9 Week by Week: Read the Week 6 on-line content pages. Study the Weekly Reader for Week 6 and complete all exercises. Programming Assignment 3: By midnight Sunday, complete Programming Lab Assignment #3 that you started in Week 5 and e-mail your completed source code, program description, test plan, and test results to your facilitator. Weekly Feedback Summary: By midnight Saturday, post your Weekly Feedback Summary to the Week 6 Forum as a REPLY to the Weekly Feedback thread. By midnight Sunday, read other student responses and post at least one response. Week 7: Stacks and Queues, the Preprocessor, and Recursion Textbook Reading: (three bullets follow) Chapter 10, section 10.4-10.5 Chapter 4, sections 4.6-4.9 Chapter 6, section 6.9-6.10 Week by Week: Read the Week 7 on-line content pages. Study the Weekly Reader for Week 7 and complete all exercises. Programming Assignment 4: Begin Programming Lab Assignment #4. Refer to your Week 7 Weekly Reader (section 7.5.1) for assignment details. The program will be due by midnight, MST on the Saturday of Week 8. Weekly Feedback Summary: By midnight Saturday, post your Weekly Feedback Summary to the Week 7 Forum as a REPLY to the Weekly Feedback thread. By midnight Sunday, read other student responses and post at least one response.
Week 8: Course Wrap-up Textbook Reading: None. Week by Week: Read the Week 8 on-line content pages. Programming Assignment 4: By midnight Saturday, complete Programming Lab Assignment #4 that you started in Week 7 and e-mail your completed source code, program description, test plan, and test results to your facilitator. Exam 3: By midnight Sunday, complete on-line Exam #3. The exam will cover the entire course, with an emphasis on the material in weeks 5 through 7. You may access the exam anytime Friday through Sunday, but you will have a three-hour time limit in which to complete the exam. Course Feedback Summary: By midnight Sunday, post your Course Feedback Summary to the Forum under the Week 8 folder, Course Feedback thread. This feedback is available for the entire class to read (including the facilitator). Note: You are not required to reply to another student s feedback this week. Please complete the online evaluation located in the Week by Week. (Clicking the link will open a new browser window.) Contact techsupport@regis.edu to report technical problems with this website. 2004 Regis University. All rights reserved.