Buy an iClicker clicker at the bookstore (not interWrite or HITT brand, and not the smartphone clicker app: genuine iClicker only. But either version 1 or 2 will work). YES, YOU MUST HAVE AN iCLICKER FOR THIS COURSE.
Register your clicker via TED (not the iclicker website) so you can collect your clicker points for your grade.
These are instructor-led class periods, but they will not be traditional lectures, hence the term "session." During class you will work alone and in groups to work through problems and answer questions using your iClickers. You must bring your iClicker to every class. Notes for class sections will be available on the course website before and/or after class.
Although attending class is not "required" you will receive credit for your in-class participation (see "Grading" section below).
Missing a class is defined as failing to respond to more than 25% of the clicker questions in a given class period.
You may miss up to 2 classes with no penalty on the *attendence* component of your grade. Missing more classes will impact your grade negatively. However, we expect that you all find these class sessions so helpful that you wouldn't consider missing t hem anyway. Note that forgetting your clicker counts as missing a class, so don't leave home without it!
If you score more than 90% in midterm you will get full participation points
To prepare you for interactive class sessions, there will be reading assignments to be completed before class. There may occasionally be videos that either supplement or replace the reading. This reading and the videos are required, and you will not be able to participate in class if you have not done the reading. A short reading quiz will be available through TED . Your performance on these quizzes will be factored into your course grade. You are required to finish these quizes at 8am on the day of the respective classes. Your lowest two (2) reading quiz scores will be dropped if more than fifty percent of the class fills the final CAPE evaluation forms.
Much of the work in this class will be centered around moderate-scale assignments with a programming component. Usually, these assignments will include more than just programming, and will ask you to do some reflection and/or analysis as well, which is why the "programming" is in parentheses above.
You may choose to engage in pair programming on these PAs. You may choose your own partner.
In discussion section, the TAs will lead you through exercises designed to give you more practice with some of the details that will help you both with your assignments as well as with the exams in this course. These discussion sections are not mandatory, but they are strongly encouraged. If you are struggling in the class and have not been attending discussion section regularly, we will not be as able or willing to help you than if you have been regularly attending section, so please plan to attend these sections.
There will be one midterm and one final exam. All exams will be closed book/closed notes.
Exams cannot be made up, so if you have a conflict with these exam times and dates please contact the instructor RIGHT AWAY. Note that you are expected to be on campus until the scheduled final time and no accommodations will be made for students who simply wish to leave campus early.
Your final grade will be determined via the following percentages:
Reading quizzes: 5%
Participation points: 5%
Programming Assignments: 35%
Midterm exam: 20%
Final exam: 35%
We will use the following scale for assigning letter grades(by absolute score): 90-100 = A-/A/A+, < 50 = F. Scores between 90 and 50 will be curved.