CS 390: Research and Project Design Principles in Computing

(Fall 2016)

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:

1. Students interested in a two semester capstone experience should enroll in this course followed by CS 490 - Design Exhibition.
2. Students who would like to get involved in undergraduate research (see UROP).
3. 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

CONTACT INFORMATION

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, in-class progress reports, and presentations: 40%
2. Semester project: 60%
   • 30% - project design/research plan documents, including regular written 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.

COURSE OUTCOMES

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

1. Articulate and refine a question while following ethical principles.
2. 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
3. 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.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

PRIME DIRECTIVE: Be able to explain your own work. The work you submit should be the product of your own effort and reflect your personal understanding. Students may be asked at any time to explain their contributions. Inability to do so will be construed as evidence of misconduct.

Both the University and the Computer Science Department have honor codes you are expected to adhere to. We will be reviewing these in class, but more information about the university honor code can be found here: http://oai.gmu.edu/the-mason-honor-code-2/ and the deparment's honor code can be found here: http://cs.gmu.edu/wiki/pmwiki.php/HonorCode/CSHonorCodePolicies. You are bound by these honor codes.

Any submitted work which shows too much commonality with others' work to be completely original, or any plagiarized work, will result in a case for the Honors Committee.

CAMPUS RESOURCES

• Computer Labs – there are several freely available computer labs on campus, for hours and locations please see: http://doit.gmu.edu/students/computer-labs/computer-lab-locations/
• Office of Disability Services - http://ods.gmu.edu
• Counseling and Support Services - http://caps.gmu.edu
• English as a Second Language (ESL) Writing Support - http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/tutoring/esl-writing-support

SPECIAL POLICIES

• Laptops and Other Electronic Devices – will be allowed in class only at certain times.
• Late Assignments – will not be accepted without prior approval.