B CUSP
110B – Digital Thinking: Animation, Video Games, and the Social Web
Autumn 2011
Room UW2-105,
M/W 11:00am – 1:00pm
Center for University Studies and Programs
Name
Email |
Office Hours: |
Mon: 3:30-4:30 Thu: 2:00-3:00 pm Or by appointment |
|
|
Phone |
(425)-352-5420 (phone for appointments only
please) |
Office: |
UW1-339 |
The ideas and practices of computational thinking: creatively explore and solve computational problems; study and understand computing and computer science from societal perspective; and examine the ethical implications of new computing technologies. After this class, students will have understanding of the practices of computational thinking, including:
· Connecting Computing: draw connections between different computing concepts, e.g., Boolean Algebra, Artificial Intelligence, Networking, Database
· Developing Computational Artifacts: e.g. personal web site, video games, mobile applications
· Abstracting: apply abstraction at multiple levels ranging from binary representation to social network applications
· Analyzing Problems and Artifacts: apply computational techniques and strategies to analyze and evaluate computational work
· Communicating: describe computation and impact of technology and computation
A word about this class: The materials from this course are based mostly on Professor Lawrence Snyder’s CSE120 pilot implementation of the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science: Principles course.
Reading materials will be handed out in classes, and
we will use the following book in our discussion of privacy.
Required
Textbook:
Reference
book:
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Homework Assignments (6-8) Project |
35% 10% |
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Midterm |
15% |
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Final |
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Participations |
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Homework: practice and verify concepts. Two day assignments, should take one to two hours. Mostly online.
Project: A two-to-three-week project, opportunity for substantial computing experience.
Participation: bulletin board and classroom discussions/exercises + class survey feedback + occasional in-class quizzes.
Midterm and Final: notes or open book, emphasize on how to study.
Week
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Topics
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Date
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1 |
Introduction |
Sep 28 |
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2 |
Lightbot 2.0 Practice With Abstraction |
Oct 3, 5 |
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3 |
A Social Contract Basic Programming |
Oct 10, 12 |
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4 |
Programming: Test and Repeat Digitization |
Oct 17, 19 |
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5 |
Digital Representation Instruction Execution + Functions |
Oct 24, 26 |
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6 |
Bits of Color Review + SGID Mid-Term (one-page note or open book) |
Oct 31 Nov 1 |
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7 |
Fundamental Principle of Information Universality + Recursion |
Nov 7, 9 |
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8 |
Algorithm Design + AI WWW |
Nov 14, 16 |
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9 |
Domain Name System Searching, Page Rank, Big Data |
Nov 21, 23 |
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10 |
Data & Meta Data & XML Database |
Nov 28, 30 |
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11 |
Encryption Final Review |
Dec 5, 7 |
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12 |
Final Exam (two-page note or open book) |
Dec 12 |
Assignment Deadlines: There will be no late assignments accepted. Let me put this in another way, there will be no late assignments accepted. These apply to both in-class exercise and homework assignments. Pay attention to the deadline on the assignments (including the time), there will be no late assignments accepted. Let me explain this again, there will be no late assignments accepted. I am actually a reasonable person, come talk to me about exceptional circumstances. You know the deadlines now please plan ahead.
Lateness to classes: Coming to class on time and coming to all classes are important. We will typically have quizzes at the beginning of classes and surveys at the end of classes. These activities will count towards your participation in this class. Late arrivals interrupt our in-progress activities and discussions. If you must miss a class session, let the instructor know as soon as possible so that you can make up the work that you miss.
Commitments and such: I am easy going. I like relaxed classrooms for learning and will try my best to create such an environment. Please do not confuse relax environment with relax requirements. I work hard, and expect students to work as hard.
Technology in the Classroom: Since technology is profoundly linked
to education, there will be many times when I ask that you employ different
tools in the gathering and expression of knowledge. Since, however, education
is also more than technology, please turn off all laptops, cell phones, iPods,
etc before the start of class and I will let you know when we’ll make use of
them. Warning (very sternly): each violation of this policy (e.g., facebook, play game,
personal email) will result in the deduction of 1% of your grade!
The Discovery Core (DC) Sequence
and B CUSP 110 (DC-I):
The DC Sequence
includes a DC I in the Fall, a DC II in the Winter, and a DC III in the spring.
Each course emphasizes student creativity and analysis, interdisciplinarity,
integrated learning, undergraduate research skills, and self-reflection. The sequence is capped by the spring DC III
course in which you create a Portfolio that is both reflective and projective,
looking back at what you have learned and ahead to the directions you’d like to
explore. Read more about the Discovery
Core and Advising issues at http://www.uwb.edu/cusp/courses/the-discovery-core.
Academic Conduct
Student Code of
Conduct: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=478-120:
“The university is a public institution having special responsibility for providing instruction in higher education, for advancing knowledge through scholarship and research, and for providing related services to the community. As a center of learning, the university also has the obligation to maintain conditions conducive to freedom of inquiry and expression to the maximum degree compatible with the orderly conduct of its functions. For these purposes, the university is governed by the rules, regulations, procedures, policies, and standards of conduct that safeguard its functions and protect the rights and freedoms of all members of the academic community.”
…
“An instructor has the authority
to exclude a student from any class session in which the student is
disorderly or disruptive. If the student persists in the disorderly or
disruptive conduct, the instructor should report the matter to the dean of the
school or college, or, at the University of Washington Bothell and Tacoma
campuses, to the dean or director of the program in which the student is
enrolled.”
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism:
See http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/academicconduct
for crucial information regarding academic integrity. The
library also has an extremely useful website with resources at http://libguides.uwb.edu/ai. You are responsible for knowing what constitutes a
violation of the University of Washington Student Code, and you will be held
responsible for any such violations whether they were intentional or not.
Plagiarism is one of the most common violations of academic integrity, so
please pay attention to both the web information and when your instructor
explains all of this in class. In
short, do your own work, and clearly cite all your sources. If you are unsure,
ask for help!
Privacy: The opinion you expressed (in class discussion, in written assignments, on our course discussion board), are yours. None of this information will be shared with anyone, not even your parents.
If you believe that you have a disability
and would like academic accommodations, please contact Disability Resources for Students
(UW1-175) at 425.352.5307 or at drs@uwb.edu.
In most cases, you will need to provide documentation of your disability as
part of the review process. I will coordinate with the University to ensure
that the appropriate accommodations are made in this class.
Other potentially useful/important information
H1N1 and Other Communicable
Diseases Action Steps:
As part of the campus
community’s shared responsibility for minimizing the possible spread of H1N1
virus and other diseases this year, it is critical that all students are
familiar with the symptoms of H1N1 Flu described on the UW Bothell website at
http://www.uwb.edu/flu. Any student or instructor with flu-like symptoms is
encouraged to stay at home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a
fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. If you are sick and have
an extended absence, please speak with me regarding alternative ways to
maintain your progress in your courses. If I am sick and need to cancel class,
I will post an announcement on Blackboard.
Inclement Weather:
Please check if the campus may
be closed due to weather. Information about
suspension of operations will be
made public and available through the media. Students can learn of campus
operations status from the website or by calling the Campus Information Hotline
425.352.3333. You may also sign up with an alert system that will contact you
via email or text message if classes are canceled. For more information on the
alert process, please see http://www.uwb.edu/alert. Class activities will be rescheduled as needed.
Student Support Services:
IT
Helpdesk: IT@uwb.edu , 425-352-3456
Library: http://library.uwb.edu/
425-352-5340
Writing Center: www.uwb.edu/WritingCenter/ 425-352-5253
Quantitative Skills Center: http://www.uwb.edu/qsc 425-352-3170
Student Success Services: http://www.uwb.edu/cusp/studentsuccess
425-352-3776
Career Services: http://www.uwb.edu/careers
425-352-3706
Student Counseling Services: http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/counseling 425-352-3183