Course Description:

CS 390 provides students with an introduction to the research and project design process as applied within the computing field. Students will learn about the tools of the trade and work through design principles starting with the articulation of a question, reviewing methods of exploration, gathering evidence, communicating results, and assessing/evaluating research or project outcomes.

This course will be of interest to the following students:

• Students interested in a two semester capstone experience should enroll in this course followed by CS 490 - Design Exhibition.
• Students who would like to get involved in undergraduate research (see UROP).
• Students interested in working on realworld problems with area companies. Several local companies have proposed projects and will have mentors available throughout the semester.

Prerequisites:

CS 262 (Low level Programming) is required;
CS 310 (Data Structures) and CS 321 (Software Requirements & Design Modeling) is highly recommended

Instructor:

Jan M. Allbeck
Computer Science Department
Office:  Nguyen Engineering - ENGR 5324
E-mail:    jallbeck at gmu.edu
Office Hours: Tues 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Class Hours:

Mon & Wed 12 - 1:15 pm;   ENGR 1108

Texts:

The textbook for this course will be "The Craft of Research" by Booth, Colomb, and Williams. Additionally, there will be several papers distributed based on the proposed projects. 

Course Requirements & Grading:

CS 390 is an activity-based course. This means that students must attend all classes and contribute to on-going discussions. There are no exams, but the course grade will be based on class participation and completion of a semester project or research paper:

(1) Participation: readings critiques, progress reports, and presentations: 40%

(2) Semester project: 60%

30% - project design/research plan documents, including regular progress reports and revisions

30% - final report containing documented software and/or project artifacts. For a research paper, final document should show evidence of an original contribution.

The tentative list of required activities:

Week	Dates	Topics	Description
1	Aug 31 Sep 2	Introduction   Defining research	Objectives and first day survey Discuss research, projects, well-defined problems, and how to get started.
2	Sep 7 Sep 9	Labor Day Student group formation	Project discussions
3	Sep 14 Sep 16	Case Study 1 Student group project ideas	Discuss research papers focused on a single topic
4	Sep 16 Sep 18	Case Study 2 Finalize group project ideas	Discuss research papers focused on a single topic
5	Sep 21 Sep 23	Case Study 3 Student (group) presentations	Discuss research papers focused on a single topic
6	Sep 28 Oct 30	Resources & Software Development	Theresa Calcagno: Fenwick Library Research Department
7	Oct 5 Oct 7	Student (group) presentations
8	Oct 12 Oct 14	Columbus Day Break Student (group) presentations
9	Oct 19 Oct 21	Project Pitfalls Tools Identification	What can and will go wrong and how to handle it. Are there existing solutions to sub-problems?
10	Oct 26 Oct 28	Student (group) presentations Evaluation Methodologies	How do you know when you've succeeded?
11	Nov 2 Nov 4	Presentation Techniques Working groups	Tips on presenting your work.
12	Nov 9 Nov 11	Working groups
13	Nov 16 Nov 18	Working groups Presentation practice	Peer feedback
14	Nov 23 Nov 25	Presentation practice Thanksgiving break	Peer feedback
15	Nov 30 Dec 2	Final group presentations
Final Exam	Dec 7 Dec 9	Group Assessments & Evaluations	Project critiques; moving on to CS 490

 

Course Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the semester, students will be able to

• Articulate and refine a question while following ethical principles
• Engage in the key elements of the scholarly process by:
    - selecting an appropriate discovery process for scholarly inquiry,   - gathering evidence appropriate to the question, and
    - applying appropriate scholarly conventions during scholarly inquiry and when reporting
  

• Assess the validity of key assumptions and evidence, and situate the scholarly inquiry within a broader context.

This course was developed with the support of OSCAR @ GMU and is identified as an Inquiry level course.

Honor Code:

All required coursework for this class must adhere to Mason's and the CS Department's Academic Integrity and Honor Code Policies described here:

http://cs.gmu.edu/wiki/pmwiki.php/HonorCode/HomePage.

Disabilities:

If you have a documented learning disability or other condition that may affect academic performance you should: (1) make sure this documentation is on file with the Office of Disability Services (SUB I, Rm. 4205; 993-2474; http://ods.gmu.edu/) to determine the accommodations you need; and (2) talk with me to discuss your accommodation needs.

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