CS 211  –  Object-Oriented Programming

(All Sections – Fall 2011)

 

Course Outcomes

- An understanding of basic object-oriented (OO) programming concepts and principles.

- An ability to apply basic object-oriented principles and techniques in the development of software systems using a specific programming language.

- An ability to effectively develop software systems using both basic command line tools and sophisticated integrated development environments, and to understand the advantages and limitations of each.

- An ability to successfully perform debugging operations and techniques.

- An ability to perform software development in both individual and team environments.

- An understanding of programming-related references/resources available to software developers and the ability to use them effectively – both in ongoing projects and in the acquisition of new technical skills.

- An understanding of how acquired programming skills facilitate success in upper level CS courses and in various professional environments.

Prerequisite

 

Grade of C or better in CS112

 

Instructor

Dr. Kinga Dobolyi 

Office: Engineering Building - 4440

E-Mail: kdobolyi (at) gmu.edu

Telephone: 703 - 993 - 4198

Textbook

Java Software Solutions: Foundations of Program Design (6th ed.)

by John Lewis & William Loftus, © 2007 Pearson Education

 

Websites

CS faculty site: http://cs.gmu.edu/~kdobolyi/cs211/index.html

BlackBoard site – through MyMason

Email / Blackboard

Students must use GMU email system for all correspondence with instructor. Email must use the following subject format: CS211-20x : Student Name (where x is the LECTURE section number). Failure to adhere to this policy will result in returned emails. All assignments will be submitted via Blackboard.

Grading

500 points total: weekly Labs (15%), 5 Quizzes (10%) Class Participation (5%), 2 Programming projects (30%), Exams (20%), Final (20%).

Course grades calculated as follows:          

A      (≥ 450 pts.), A (≥ 460 pts.), A+ (≥ 490 pts.)   

B     (≥ 400 pts.), B (≥ 410 pts.), B+ (≥ 440 pts.)     

C      (≥ 350 pts.), C (≥ 360 pts.), C+ (≥ 390 pts.)

D     (≥ 300 pts.), F  (< 300 pts.)
                       

Readings and lectures

Lecture attendance is required. Students are responsible for reading and understanding all assigned material (in text, on Internet, etc.), which may or may not be covered explicitly in class. Readings must be completed prior to the assigned lecture. Questions and clarifications regarding material should be presented in class, during instructor/GTA/UTA office hours or via Blackboard discussions.

Labs

Lab attendance is required. Students must attend and participate in the lab for which they are registered unless prior permission is granted by lab GTA. Quizzes will be administered during lab sessions. Missed labs result in zero credit for quizzes administered during that session (no make-ups). The lowest grade of the 5 quiz grades will be dropped. Lab assignments are due one week from the start time of the lab in which they were assigned. The lowest grade of the 10 lab grades will be dropped. Lab assignments may be discussed (e.g., algorithms, development strategies, etc.) with other students, but code may not be shared (labs assignment submissions are strictly independent efforts unless specified otherwise by instructor).

If you know in advance that you are unable to make a lab, you must notify your lab GTA that you would like to transfer to another lab that week at least 3 days before that lab, in email. If you miss a quiz due to a university-accepted excused absence, you must notify your TA within 24 hours of your absence to make arrangements for a makeup, and bring documentation with you when you take the make-up quiz. Failure to follow either of these policies will result in a zero.

Projects

Programming projects are considered individual efforts, therefore no sharing of code and/or discussion of problem solution is allowed with anyone except lab GTA, UTA or instructor. Test cases must also not be shared. Student projects will be manually and automatically assessed for cheating.

Projects that do not compile, that are otherwise partially correct, will automatically receive a deduction of 20 points. Submit only .java files unless specified otherwise, and do not zip or compress these files into a single folder. Failure to follow these policies will result in a loss of 20 points per project.

The discussion board on Blackboard is required reading for all projects. All assignments should be submitted under your LAB section link on Blackboard.

Late submissions

All assignments must be submitted by the deadline to be considered for full credit. Late lab assignments will not be accepted. Late projects will be tolerated, but are subject to a penalty of 20% per day (measured in 24-hour increments from time due). No assignment will be accepted for credit after last class meeting. Blackboard being unavailable is not an excuse for turning in a late assignment; in the off chance that the website is somehow unavailable or giving the student an error, the student MUST email their submission to their GTA before the deadline, otherwise it will be considered late. Similarly, having a laptop die or losing source code is not an excuse for turning in a project late – students are responsible for maintaining their own backup copies of code.

Contested grades

Contesting of grades on any/all submissions must be requested within one week of the item’s return. No changes will be considered subsequent to that deadline.

Exams

Exams are closed book/notes unless specified otherwise by instructor. Appropriate documentation (as determined by instructor) and requisite permissions are required for make-up exam requests. Picture IDs are required to take all exams. Note: A failing grade on the final exam (<60%) will result in a failing grade (F) for the entire course, regardless of performance on other assignments.

If you know in advance that you are unable to make an exam for a valid and unavoidable reason (such as a scheduled surgery, etc), you must notify the professor at least one week before the scheduled exam date to make arrangements for a make-up, and bring documentation with you when you take the make-up. If you miss an exam due to a university-accepted excused absence (such as an illness or car accident the day and time of the exam), you must notify your professor within 24 hours of your absence to make arrangements for a makeup, and bring documentation with you when you take the make-up exam. Failure to follow either of these policies will result in a zero.

Honor Code

All students are expected to abide by the GMU Honor Code. This policy is rigorously enforced. All class-related assignments are considered individual efforts unless explicitly expressed otherwise (in writing). Review the university honor code and present any questions regarding the policies to instructor.

Cheating on any assignment will be prosecuted and result in a notification of the Honor Committee as outlined in the GMU Honor Code.

Learning Disabilities

If you have a learning disability or other condition that may affect academic performance (that is documented with the GMU Office of Disability Services), talk with me ASAP to discuss accommodations.