CMPR105 - Visual BASIC Programming

Course Syllabus                           Fall 2018

Downloadable PDF Version

Section:	CMPR-105-54434
Class Meeting Time:	08/27/2018 - 12/16/2018 Wednesdays, 06:00PM - 09:10PM
Class Location:	A - Cesar Chavez Bldg, Room A-208
Course Web Address:	http://rsccd.instructure.com
Instructor:	Vu Le
Instructor E-mail:	le_vu@sac.edu
Office Hours:	By appointment only
Prerequisites:	None
Materials:	Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2017 8th Edition (Zak, ISBN 978-1-33-710212-4)

                      

Catalog Description

Introduction to programming and Visual BASIC. Emphasis on programming fundamentals and the creation of applications with Visual BASIC. No previous programming experience required.

 

Attendance

Attendance is required.  You are responsible for initialing a roll sheet at every class session. Failure to do so will be counted as an absence. Students who miss 2 or more sessions (two weeks) may be dropped. Students who are absent 4 or more sessions (four weeks) without informing me of extenuating circumstances will not be reinstated.  As important as your attendance is your participation; ask questions whenever something is not clear, provide your perspective when asked, etc.

Please remember that it is ultimately your responsibility as the student to drop the class and not the instructor’s. Students should review the drop deadlines from WebAdvisor.

 

Important Dates

• First Day of Class August 29, 2018
• Last Day to Add (add code required) September 9, 2018
• Last Drop Date without 'W' September 9, 2018
• Last Date to get Refund September 9, 2018
• Last Drop Date with 'W' November 18, 2018
• Last Day of Class December 12, 2018

Course Outcomes

After successfully completing this course, each student will have learned how to do the following:

• you will learn to read computer code written by someone else and explain what it does
• you will learn the common errors in computer programs
• you will learn to develop the solution to a problem in pseudocode and be able to translate it into computer code
• you will learn to use a Visual Basic compiler
• you will learn how to use code libraries
• you will learn the different data types and when each type should be used
• you will learn how to create user interactions that provide a positive and engaging user experience
• you will learn to effectively use the three primary control structures of sequence, choice and iteration when designing and implementing program algorithms
• you will learn how to translate mathematical formulas to programming expressions
• you will learn how to read and write information to files
• you will learn to build larger programs effectively by defining functions (and/or methods) and how method parameters increase reuse
• you will learn to manipulate one and two dimensional arrays

but most importantly…

• you will acquire the ability to solve a well-defined small problem and then implement the solution as a program

 

 

Learning Activities

Programming takes lots of practice.  To successfully achieve the course objectives, all students will participate and complete the learning activities listed below.

Weekly In-class assignments

On most weeks, there will in-class assignments. Meant to be completed during class time, these assignments allow you to practice what is learned from the readings and the class discussions.  Ranging from programming exercises to short quizzes, these assignments help assess your understanding of the material and help me in organizing the class discussion. Assignments must be submitted through Canvas by the deadline specified on each assignment and will count for your grade.

Homework Projects

Homework will be assigned approximately one every three weeks, for a total of 5 assignments. Students are expected to complete these assignments on their own time, though some lab time may be dedicated by the instructor to work on some of them.

Final exam

There will be a cumulative final exam held on the last day of class.  It will be in class and administered through Canvas.  No makeups will be allowed for missing the final.

Students will be learning programming in Visual Basic. We will be using Microsoft Development Studio. All assignments will be posted ahead of time on Canvas, and projects will be submitted electronically through Canvas as an assignment submittal.

Do not save your work on any of the lab computers.  Bring a USB drive or use a cloud based service to save and transfer your files at the end of your session.  The computers are shared and accessed by many people, and your work will be susceptible to being copied or deleted.

 

Late submissions

Every graded activity must be submitted on time. These deadlines will be clearly posted on Canvas.  Late submissions of in-class assignments and homework projects are not permitted.  Exceptions to this policy may be made on a case by case basis in case of illness as long as they are substantiated and prior notification is given to the instructor before the activity's deadline.  If the situation arises, contact me ahead of time to discuss your options.

 

Grades

Assessment	Available Points	% of class grade
In-class assignments	450 points	45%
Homework	350 points	35%
Final	200 points	20%
Total	1000 points	100%

Class grades will be determined using the traditional scale: A (100%–90%), B (89%–80%), C (79%-70%), D (69%-60%), F (59%-below)

I reserve the right to lower the cutoff percentages listed above, but I will not raise them.  This will be determined at the end of the semester and only for the final grade for the course, not for any single activity. Thus, to guarantee an A in the class you need to have achieved at least 90% of the points in the class.

There is no plan for extra credit.  Do your homework and assignments on time and consult with me when you need help, before it is too late.

Progress of your scores and grades will be posted onto Canvas.  Do keep track of your progress and ensure your grades are correct.  Any errors must be brought to my attention by the end of class on December 5, 2018.  After that date, if I have not heard from you, I will presume that you agree with the scores posted.

 

Final Notes

Some of you may find difficulties grasping some of the material. This is normal, some of the material takes a lot of practice to understand. Ask questions and help each other to learn the topics, but do so honestly and with integrity.

You can discuss the course material, not the solutions on active activities, with your classmates, but the work you submit for a class activity must always be your own.

Copying from other students is expressly forbidden. This includes direct copying where one person gives another person their code, but also includes indirect copying; such as, when two students program separate submissions while sitting right next to each other and one student is basing the solution on the work of the student next to him/her.  Blindly copying from the internet is also forbidden.

Cheating and plagiarism of any form will not be tolerated.  It is my prerogative to judge what work falls under this category. Anyone involved in cheating will receive zero credit for the work. Subsequent infractions will also be reported to the Associate Dean of Student Development for inclusion in the students’ college records and possible additional action.

 

Tentative Schedule

Here is the tentative schedule for the semester.  The dates and material are subject to change.

Week	Dates	Topics	Notes
1	8/29	Chapter 1
2	9/5	Chapter 2
3	9/12		Project #1 Due
4	9/19	Chapter 3
5	9/26
6	10/3	Chapter 4	Project #2 Due
7	10/10
8	10/17	Chapter 5
9	10/24		Project #3 Due
10	10/31	Chapter 6
11	11/7
12	11/14	Chapter 7	Project #4 Due
13	11/21
14	11/28	Chapter 8
15	12/5		Project #5 Due
16	12/12		Final

 

Please refer to the Syllabus Appendices posted in the class’ download site for additional information such as accommodations for disabilities, student participation/drop policies, and mission statements.