CMPR105 - Visual BASIC Programming

Course Syllabus                           Spring 2019

Downloadable PDF Version

Section:	CMPR-105-64216
Class Meeting Time:	02/14/2019 - 06/6/2019 Thursdays, 06:00PM - 09:10PM
Class Location:	A - Cesar Chavez Bldg, Room A-206
Course Web Address:	http://rsccd.instructure.com
Instructor:	Vu Le
Instructor E-mail:	le_vu@sac.edu
Office Hours:	Thursdays, 05:00PM - 06:00PM A - Cesar Chavez Bldg, Room A-206
Prerequisites:	None
Materials:	Microsoft Visual Basic 2017 for Windows, Web, and Database Applications: Comprehensive, 1st Edition (Hoisington, ISBN 9781337102117)

 

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 February 14, 2019
• Last Day to Add (add code required) February 24, 2019
• Last Drop Date without 'W' February 24, 2019
• Last Date to get Refund February 24, 2019
• Last Drop Date with 'W' May 12, 2019
• Last Day of Class June 6, 2019

 

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 / Homework

Every week, there will in-class assignments. Class time will be given in order to work on these assignments, allowing you to practice what is learned from the readings and the class discussions.  These assignments also 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.

Projects

Projects 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 Visual 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.

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY INFORMATION

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.

Students at Santa Ana College are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. To falsify the results of one’s research, to steal the words or ideas of another, or to cheat on an examination, corrupts the essential process by which knowledge is advanced.

In cases where a violation of academic honesty is discovered, an “Academic Misconduct Incident Report” form will be filed and distributed to the appropriate offices listed.

There are two categories of sanctions: Limited and College-wide. Limited sanctions include an academic action such as assigning a lower grade or a grade of “F” for the assignment, project, or test. College-wide sanctions include any sanction that will affect a student’s standing with the college-at-large, up to and including suspension or expulsion from the College.

For further information, please refer to the SAC Catalog.

 

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/Homework	450 points	45%
Projects	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 May 30, 2019.  After that date, if I have not heard from you, I will presume that you agree with the scores posted.

 

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DISABILITIES

Your success in this course is important to me. Santa Ana College and I are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your ability to do well in this course, I encourage you to speak with me as soon as possible. Also, please contact Disabled Student Programs & Services so that we can all collaborate on your classroom accommodations in a timely manner. DSP&S is located in U-103 and their phone number is 714-564-6264. The DSP&S office requires documentation of your disability in order to receive reasonable accommodations. If you do not have documentation from the DSPS Office, the staff will work with you to acquire it. I look forward to supporting you to meet your learning goals.

 

Tentative Schedule

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

Week	Dates	Topics	Notes
1	2/14	Chapter 1
2	2/21	Chapter 2
3	2/28		Project #1 Due
4	3/7	Chapter 3
5	3/14
6	3/21	Chapter 4	Project #2 Due
7	3/28
8	4/4	Chapter 5
9	4/11	SPRING BREAK	NO CLASS
10	4/18		Project #3 Due
11	4/25	Chapter 6
12	5/2
13	5/9	Chapter 7	Project #4 Due
14	5/16
15	5/23	Chapter 8
16	5/30		Project #5 Due
17	6/6		Final

 

Please refer to the SAC catalog and website for additional information.