Course Description

This course provides an introduction to problem solving and programming using the Python scripting language. The process of programming is much more than just writing code. It involves analyzing the problem at hand, designing a solution, implementing and testing that solution, and critiquing results. The python language is designed to naturally introduce fundamental concepts of programming and make it possible to being solving nontrivial problems quickly. Special emphasis will be placed on developing applications for storing and manipulating multimedia elements, such as images, sounds, and video.

The specific goals of this course are:

• To develop problem solving and programming skills to enable the student to design solutions to non-trivial problems and implement those solutions in Python.
• To master the fundamental programming constructs of Python, including variables, expressions, functions, control structures, and lists.
• To build a foundation for more advanced programming techniques, including object-oriented design and the use of standard data structures (as taught in CSC 222).

This course is intended as a first programming course, so no prior experience with computers is assumed. The problem-solving and programming techniques introduced in this course are further expanded in the follow-up course, CSC 222: Object-Oriented Programming.

Required Work

Learning to program requires a consistent time commitment, as each new concept and programming technique builds on those that came before. To encourage students to keep up with the course content and to provide immediate feedback, each class period will begin with a "random" quiz. A quiz will be handed out to highlight important concepts, but only administered with a 50% likelihood. To allow for unavoidable absences, the two lowest quiz grades will be dropped.

To demonstrate problem solving and programming skills, students will complete 6-8 programs throughout the semester. Each assignment will involve the design and implementation of a Python program, and may also include a written component in which the behavior of the program is analyzed. Late assignments will be accepted up to 7 days after their due date, with a 25% penalty. Beyond 7 days, late submissions will not be accepted. In addition, there will be two 75-minute tests and a cumulative 100-minute final exam.

The final grade for the course will be based on the above weightings. At the minimum, traditional grading cutoffs for the final average will apply. That is, 90% is guaranteed an A, 87% is guaranteed a B+, etc. Depending on class performance, some shifting of grades (in an upward direction only) may occur as final letter grades are assigned.

Regular attendance is expected of all students. If you must miss class for a legitimate reason, it is your responsibility to make up missed work. Quizzes and Assignments will not be rescheduled except in extreme circumstances.

It is expected that all students check their Creighton email accounts regularly. Official announcements, such as assignment revisions or class cancellations, will be distributed through Creighton email.

Policy on Collaboration

Creighton's policy on cheating and plagiarism is spelled out in the Student Handbook, with college procedures available online at www.creighton.edu/fileadmin/user/CCAS/docs/2010_Site/academic_honesty_policy.pdf.. Unless the assignment explicitly states otherwise, homework assignments are to be completed by each student independently, with no discussion about program design or assistance in debugging from other students. Violations of the collaboration policy will be dealt with severely, with possible outcomes including failure in the course.

Daily Schedule (check regularly for updates)

Access sample code from class

Scratch projects