CSC 121: Computers and Scientific Thinking

Text: Computer Science: Concepts & Explorations, 2nd ed., David Reed, 2021. (Custom text available for purchase at the bookstore.)

Course Description

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.

Course Structure

Students are expected to attend classes in person. 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.

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:	MW 2:00-3:00, TR 9:45-10:45 (or by appt.)	Hitchcock 209A
TA office hours:	Mon, 5:00-6:00	Hitchcock 204
	Mon, 6:00-7:00	Zoom
	Tue, 5:00-6:00	Hitchcock 204
	Tue, 7:00-8:00	Zoom
	Wed, 5:00-6:00	Zoom
	Wed, 7:00-8:00	Hitchcock 204
	Thu, 5:00-6:00	Hitchcock 204
	Thu, 6:00-7:00	Zoom
	Thu, 7:00-8:00	Zoom
	Thu, 8:00-9:00	Zoom

Required Work

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

Each Tuesday session will be a lecture/discussion on a topic in computer science or technology. Students will be assigned a chapter from the book and must complete a review quiz on Blueline before the scheduled class period. Attendance and participation in class discussions is expected of all students.
The first hour on Thursday 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.
The second hour on Thursday will be a supervised lab period. Students will complete one or more exercises to show they have mastered basic skills, and then will use the remaining time to work on the weekly project. Attendance will be taken and students who are absent or not working on-task will have a 10% penalty applied to their project/lab grade for that week.

There will be two 60-minute tests and a cumulative 100-minute final exam. The final course grade will be based on the following weightings with minimum cutoffs of 93% for A, 90% for A-, 87% for B+, 83% for B, 80% for B-, and so on. Some shifting of grades, in an upward direction only, may occur as final letter grades are assigned.

ten chapter quizzes	5 %
eight chapter projects	20 %
five lab assignments	20 %
two 60-minute tests	30 %
100-minute final exam	25 %

Policy on Collaboration

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, physically or electronically exchanging answers or copying text/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.

Daily Schedule

Date	Topic	Readings	Hand-in
Aug 20 22	Course Overview Computer Basics (pptx) Lab 1	Chapter C1	C1 quiz
27 29	World Wide Web (pptx) HTML & Web Pages (pptx) Project 1.A (p. 212)	Chapter C2 Chapter X1	C2 quiz Lab 1
Sep 3 5	The Internet (pptx) Hypertext & Multimedia (pptx) Project 2.A (p. 231) [Web server setup]	Chapter C3 Chapter X2	C3 quiz Project 1.A
10 12	History of Computers (pptx) Dynamic Web Pages (pptx) Project 3.A (p. 248)	Chapter C4 Chapter X3	C4 quiz Project 2.A
17 19	AI Week (pt. 1) AI Week (pt. 2) Test Prep (pptx)	Chapter C3	C3 quiz Project 3.A
24 26	TEST 1 Test Review & Reset Lab 2
Oct 1 3	Scientific & Computational Thinking (pptx) Interaction & Design (pptx) Project 4.A (p. 268)	Chapter C5 Chapter X4	C5 quiz Lab 2
8 10	Algorithms & Programming (pptx) Numbers & Computation (pptx) Project 5.B (p. 291)	Chapter C6 Chapter X5	C6 quiz Project 4.A
15 17	FALL BREAK -- NO CLASSES
22 24	CS as a Discipline (pptx) Functions & Libraries (pptx) Projects 6.B & 6.C (pp. 313 & 314)	Chapter C7 Chapter X6	C7 quiz Project 5.B
29 31	Applications in Biology (pptx) Lab 3 Test Prep (pptx)		Projects 6.B & 6.C
Nov 5 7	TEST 2 Test Review & Reset Lab 4		Lab 3
12 14	Inside the Data (pptx) Conditional Execution (pptx) Project 7.C (p. 337)	Chapter C8 Chapter X7	C8 quiz Lab 4
19 21	Inside Multimedia (pptx) -- goJays Software Modeling (pptx) Lab 5	Chapter C9 Chapter X9	C9 Quiz Project 7.C
26 28	Inside the Computer (pptx) THANKSGIVING BREAK -- NO CLASS	Chapter C10	C10 Quiz
Dec 3 5	Impact of Computing (pptx) Bridging the Divide (pptx) Course Review (pptx)	Chapter C11 Chapter C12	C11 quiz C12 quiz Lab 5
Dec 11	FINAL EXAM Wednesday 1:00-2:40

Book code directory

Creighton University may modify, suspend, or postpone any and all activities and services immediately and without notice because of force majeure causes beyond Creighton's control and occurring without its fault or negligence including, but not limited to, acts of God, fire, war, governmental action, terrorism, epidemic, pandemic, weather, national emergencies, or other threats to the safety of students or staff. Creighton may, at its option, alter the academic schedule or provide alternate instruction modalities to meet course objectives and competencies and program outcomes, including, but not limited to, distance or remote learning, until such time as Creighton determines normal operations may resume safely.