CS 110 - Essentials of Computer Science

George Mason University, Department of Computer Science

Instructors and Teaching Assistants

GTAs and UTAs (Contact information is found in each section's Canvas course)

Course Description:

This course is required for all computer science students and serves as an opportunity for students to be introduced to GMU Computer Science Department policies. Freshmen and transfer students are expected to take the course in their first year in order to ensure that all CS students have exposure to certain essential tools and topics early on to enable their use in subsequent classes.

Learning Outcomes:

• Students will understand many key ethical, legal and social issues related to information technology and how to interpret and comply with ethical principles, laws, regulations, and institutional policies.  This will be met through class discussions related to ethical and social implications of current computing trends such as Artificial Intelligence, Software Reliability and Social Media. Several class assignments will also address these topics.
• Students will understand the essential issues related to information security, how to take precautions and use techniques and tools to defend against computer crimes. This outcome will be met by class lectures on encryption, student use of secure communication channels (i.e. Virtual Private Networks), and an assignment on the modification of software security settings.
• Students will understand the requirements of the Computer Science Major at GMU and have an appreciation of Computer Science as a discipline. This will be met with lectures on the requirements for the CS major, as well as assignments that teach about the history of computer science and the people who influenced its progress.
• Students will have a basic understanding of the Unix operating system and how computers convey, store, and manipulate information, including binary representation of numbers and encoding of characters.  This will be met through class lectures and assignments that assess the students' understanding of Unix, binary numerical operations, representation of text, and logical operations.
• Students will learn techniques for general problem solving and dividing complex problems into manageable component parts. This will be met through class lectures that discuss various factors that hinder one's ability to find solutions to problems, puzzle solving techniques, and exercises that teach students how to break down the steps necessary to create solutions.

Textbook and Readings

1. Computer Science Illuminated (7th or 8th Edition) by Nell Dale and John Lewis
• The 8th Edition is available in the GMU Bookstore
• This edition may contain a code for access to additional online materials that will not be used in the course. However, you might find these additional materials useful for study and review.
• You can also buy/rent the textbook in hardcopy or electronic form on Amazon or other websites
• The 7th Edition is also acceptable, although you should note that it is not quite as up to date as the 8th ed. You may be able to find this used through online booksellers for a much lower cost than the 8th Edition.
2. Introduction to Unix by Fiamingo, DeBula, Condron (available online for free)
3. Certain webpages and other materials may also be assigned throughout the class (either provided in class or available free online)

Computing Resources

• A personal computer where you have the ability and permissions to install software.
• Internet access with sufficient bandwidth to participate in video conferencing.
• Software: Mason email, Canvas, Piazza, Zoom, VPN
• For exams only: Respondus Lockdown Browser and a webcam

Grading

• Main Assignments: 30%
• The Academic Advising assignment must be completed to pass the class (see below)
• Discussion Board Assignments: 10%
• Group Project: 10%
• Weekly Reading Quizzes: 10%
• Class Participation: 15%
• Two Midterm Exams: 10% (5% each)
• Final Exam: 15%

Course Policies

Class Communications

We will use email and Canvas for all class communications; it's your responsibility to check them regularly for any messages and notifications. Some information will be disseminated through class too, so you should always take note of in-class announcements. General and assignment related questions may be submitted through Piazza (https://piazza.com/class/medai2x5ytc4y9/). However, no grade related questions should be posted to Piazza as it is not an official GMU supported platform.   Also, questions specific for your section should be directed to your instructor or TAs since answers may vary and would thus be confusing to students in other sections Email is for personal matters only. If you email the instructor, please be sure to use your GMU account and include your G# and your section number.

Academic Advising

All CS 110 students are required to meet with an Academic Advisor in the CS Department Undergraduate office before the end of the semester.  In order to avoid a last-minute rush at the end of the semester, each student should make an individual appointment or reserve a spot at one of the scheduled group advising session.  Students who do not complete the assignment by the last day of classes (Monday, December 8) will not receive a passing grade in the course, no matter what their final grade average may be.

Absences

You are expected to attend all scheduled class sessions. In the event of an emergency or health concern which causes an absence for a non-Class Participation activity (e.g. missing a Midterm exam), please contact your professor as soon as possible. We will do our best to consider any special circumstances, but only if they are communicated in a timely manner, preferably in advance. Note that documentation may be required to support your absence.

Class Participation

To get credit for class participation you must: a) attend all scheduled class sessions, and b) actively participate to the in-class activities. There are no makeups for participation activities (it would defeat their purpose if there were) but everyone is excused for up to 3 absences. This eliminates the need to submit documentation in the event of sickness or other emergency.

Late Policy

• Assignments: Submissions made after the due date will be penalized 10 percent per day including weekend days and holidays. Since late work can cause major penalties, start work early!
• Readings: Late quizzes will not be accepted. The submission form will automatically close at the deadline. Any quiz not submitted by then will receive zero points.

Grade Disputes

Honor Code

All students are expected to abide by the GMU Academic Standards Policy. This policy is rigorously enforced. Unless otherwise specified, all class-related assignments are to be individual efforts. Certain portions of group assignments may require individual efforts as well.  Be careful to follow instructions regarding acceptable group efforts.  Plagiarism will not be tolerated.  Cheating on any assignment will be prosecuted and result in a notification of the Honor Committee. Review the university policies carefully.  If you ever have a question about the Honor Code or instructor policies, ASK! We welcome the opportunity to help you understand the policies. Note that the Computer Science Department also has its own mandatory CS Honor Code that provides more specific instructions regarding CS classes. Make sure you read and familiarize yourself with these rules too.

AI policy

All assignments in CS 110 are expected to be your own work (either individually, or in the case of group work, in collaboration with your group members). Use of AI assistance, such as ChatGPT, is strictly forbidden for both individual and group work unless explicitly authorized for a particular assignment and purpose by your professor.

University Policies

• Academic Standards
• Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
• FERPA and the Use of GMU Email Addresses for Course Communication
• Title IX Resources and Required Reporting