B CUSP 110C – Digital Thinking: Animation, Video Games, and the Social Web
Autumn 2012
Room UW1-120, T/TR 1:15pm –
3:15pm
Center for University Studies and Programs
University of Washington Bothell
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TA |
Office Hours |
Tu/Th: 3:30 – 5:30 (right after classes) |
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Email
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Place |
UW1-310 (CSS Windows Lab) |
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NameEmail |
Office Hours |
Wed: 3:00-5:00 pm Or by appointment |
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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:
o
Blown to
Bits: Your Life, Liberty and Happiness after the Digital Explosion, Hal
Abelson, Ken Leeden, and Harry Lewis, 2010. This book
is free on-line at: http://www.bitsbook.com/excerpts/.
Reference book:
o
Getting
Started with Processing, by Casey Reas and Ben
Fry, O'Reilly 2010. This is a an easy read, good
reference for working with Processing. We will read around 40-50 pages from
this book. If you buy this book used from on-line, it can cost less than $10-,
well worth the price!
·
Book website: http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920000570.do
·
Buying the book from amazon
or barns
and nobles.
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Homework Assignments (6-8) Project |
35% 10% |
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Midterm |
20% |
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Final |
20% |
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Participations |
15% |
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 + in-class quizzes.
Midterm and Final: open notes + book, emphasize on how to study.
Week |
Topics |
Date |
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1 |
Introduction Lightbot 2.0 |
Sep 25, 27 |
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2 |
More with Lightbot 2.0 Practice With Abstraction |
Oct 2, 4 |
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3 |
A Social Contract Basic Programming |
Oct 9, 11 |
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4 |
Programming: Test and Repeat Digitization |
Oct 16, 18 |
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5 |
Digital Representation Instruction Execution + Functions |
Oct 24, 26 |
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6 |
Bits of Color Mid-Term (one-page note or open book) |
Oct 30 Nov 1 |
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7 |
Fundamental Principle of Information Universality + Recursion |
Nov 6, 8 |
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8 |
Algorithm Design + AI WWW |
Nov 13, 15 |
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9 |
Domain Name System Searching, Page Rank, Big Data Thanksgiving (Thursday no class) |
Nov 20, 22 |
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10 |
Data & Meta Data & XML Database |
Nov 27, 29 |
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11 |
Encryption Final Review |
Dec 4, 6 |
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12 |
Final Exam (two-page note or open book) |
Dec 11 |
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 in-class activities that require on-line submissions. 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