This course introduces students to science and scientific reasoning from a perspective that integrates computer science and the natural sciences. Students will gain a basic understanding of computer technology (its organization, history, societal impact, etc.) and how computers are used in various scientific disciplines. In particular, the use of the scientific method and the importance of computer modeling in scientific inquiry will be studied. Students will learn to develop simple Web-based programs for analyzing data and modeling systems, and use those programs in conducting hands-on experiments. Applications in biology, physics, and data science will provide insights into how these disciplines approach problems and utilize computers and computer modeling as tools.

The specific goals of this course are:

• To learn the fundamental concepts underlying computer technology and appreciate the computer's impact on science and society.
• To understand and practice the scientific method as a technique for studying natural and artificial phenomena.
• To develop problem-solving skills through the process of designing, implementing, and experimenting with Web-based computer programs.
• To develop critical-thinking skills by conducting experiments and analyzing the data obtained by observing natural phenomena and also by simulating complex systems on a computer.
• To experience the interdisciplinary nature of computing and appreciate how the different scientific disciplines approach problems and utilize computers as tools.

Students are expected to attend classes in person on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Given the size of the class, it is essential that students adhere to all Creighton community standards, including behaving in respectful manner and contributing to a positive learning environment. Disruptive or disrespectful behavior may result in removal from class. Laptops are allowed and many students have found the ability to work along with the instructor very helpful.

Thursday afternoon class sessions will be online labs conducted on Zoom. As described in the university tech guidelines, students are expected to have a laptop with a camera. Installing the preferred class software (Brackets) is straightforward and assistance will be available during the first lab session if needed.

If you must miss a class because of an emergency, you are expected to notify the instructor as soon as possible. If you are sick, contact the Student Health Education and Compliance Office (402-280-2735) immediately and follow their recommendations. Be aware that all class materials posted on Blueline, including assignments, quizzes, and discussions, are considered to be copyrighted and are intended to be used only by students enrolled in the class, for the purposes of fulfilling the course objectives. Recording lectures without permission or sharing any of these materials with others outside of the course will be considered "misuse of academic resources," as defined in the Creighton University Student Handbook.

Instructor office hours will simultaneously held in person and online. Students are encouraged to attend in person if it is convenient and safe, but have the option of meeting virtually through the instructor's Zoom room. TA office hours will be conducted via Zoom.

Instructor office hours:	Mon-Thu 2:00-3:00	HCCA 209A or https://creighton.zoom.us/my/davereed
TA office hours:	Mon 6:00-7:00	https://creighton.zoom.us/my/benwordekemper
	Mon 7:00-8:00	https://creighton.zoom.us/my/clairepini
	Tue 6:00-7:00	https://creighton.zoom.us/my/carinacook
	Tue 7:00-8:00	https://creighton.zoom.us/my/benwordekemper
	Wed 6:00-7:00	https://creighton.zoom.us/my/tessgaynor
	Wed 7:00-8:00	https://creighton.zoom.us/my/minhnguyen
	Web 8:00-9:00	https://creighton.zoom.us/my/leohoffman
	Thu 6:00-7:00	https://creighton.zoom.us/my/jaredsanchez
	Thu 7:00-8:00	https://creighton.zoom.us/my/krisau

Class periods will consist of three types of activity, roughly organized along the following schedule.

• Each Tuesday morning will be a lecture/discussion on a topic in computer science or technology. Students will be assigned a chapter from the book or online readings, and must complete a review quiz on Blueline before the scheduled class period. Attendance and participation in class discussions is expected of all students.
• Each Thursday morning will be a hands-on learning activity. This may involve the instructor demonstrating Web development and/or programming techniques, with exercises to be undertaken by students individually or in small groups. These days may also include off-line activities that engage students to explore various topics in computing and the sciences.
• Each Thursday afternoon will be a supervised lab period. Sessions will always begin in the instructor's Zoom room: https://creighton.zoom.us/my/davereed. After an overview of that week's assignment, students will have the option to remain for supplemental instruction or move to a TA Zoom room for a moderated work time.

There will be two 50-minute tests and a cumulative 100-minute final exam. The final course grade will be based on the following weightings with minimum cutoffs of A (93-100%), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89%), B (83-86%), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79%), C (73-76%), C- (70-72), D (60-69%), and F (0-59%). Some shifting of grades, in an upward direction only, may occur as final letter grades are assigned.

ten chapter quizzes	5 %
eight chapter projects	30 %
five lab assignments	15 %
two 50-minute tests	25 %
100-minute final exam	25 %

In addition to the College of Arts & Science's policy on academic honesty, the following guidelines hold for this course.

• For chapter projects and lab assignments, you are encouraged to talk with your classmates and assist each other in completing the projects. All answers and code submitted by you must be your own work, however. Thus, exchanging answers or copying code is expressly forbidden.
• Since the point of the review quiz on reading assignments is to ascertain what you found interesting or confusing in the readings, no collaboration is allowed on the review quiz.
• All tests are closed book, with no collaboration between students allowed.

Violations of these guidelines will be dealt with severely, with possible outcomes including a negative score or failure in the course.

 

Date	Topic	Location	Readings	Hand-in
Jan 13	Course Overview Lab 1	Rigge 120 Zoom
18 20	Computer Basics (pptx) HTML & Web Pages (pptx) Project 1.A (p. 212)	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter C1 Chapter X1	C1 quiz   Lab 1
25 27	World Wide Web (pptx) Hypertext & Multimedia (pptx) Project 2.A (p. 231) [Upload info]	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter C2 Chapter X2	C2 quiz   Project 1.A
Feb 1 3	The Internet (pptx) Dynamic Web Pages (pptx) Project 3.B (p. 249)	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter C3 Chapter X3	C3 quiz   Project 2.A
8 10	History of Computers (pptx) Interaction & Design (pptx) Project 4.A (p. 268)	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter C4 Chapter X4	C4 quiz   Project 3.B
15 17	TEST 1 Test Review & Reset Lab 2	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom		Project 4.A
22 24	Scientific & Computational Thinking (pptx) Numbers & Computation (pptx) Project 5.C (p. 292)	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter C5 Chapter X5	C5 quiz   Lab 2
Mar 1 3	Algorithms & Programming (pptx) Applications in Biology (pptx) Lab 3	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 A-F/G-M/N-Z	Chapter C6	C6 quiz   Project 5.C
8 10	SPRING BREAK -- NO CLASSES
15 17	CS as a Discipline (pptx) Functions & Libraries (pptx) Projects 6.A & 6.C (pp. 312 & 314)	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter C7 Chapter X6	C7 quiz   Lab 3
22 24	Inside the Data (pptx) Odds & Ends Day I (pptx) test prep	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter C8	C8 quiz   Projects 6.A & 6.C
29 31	CLASS CANCELED TEST 2 Lab 4	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom
Apr 5 7	Inside Multimedia (pptx) Conditional Execution (pptx) Project 7.C (p. 337)	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter C9 Chapter X7	C9 quiz   Lab 4
12 14	Inside the Computer (pptx) CLASS CANCELED NO LAB	Rigge 120 Rigge 120	Chapter C10	C10 Quiz
19 21	Conditional Repetition (pptx) Software Models (pptx) Lab 5	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter X8 Chapter X9	Project 7.C
26 28	Impact of Computing (pptx) Bridging the Divide (pptx) Course Review	Rigge 120 Rigge 120 Zoom	Chapter C11 Chapter C12	C11 quiz C12 quiz Lab 5
May 5	FINAL EXAM     Thursday 1:00-2:40	Rigge 120

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