NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
The City University of New York
Department of Computer Engineering Technology
EMT1111: Logic and Problem Solving – Fall 2013
General Information
EMT1111 Logic and Problem Solving Instructor:Henry LaBoy henry_laboy@yahoo.com
Course Designation : Required for bachelor in computer engineering technology
Course Credit : 1 Class meeting: Wednesdays 10 -11:40 AM in Rm V614
Course Description and Objectives
This course introduces the foundations of problem-solving and computer programming as it is applied to computer engineering technology. It provides a basic understanding of programming techniques, logic, and number systems through hands-on laboratory exercises in a modern programming language. Students will learn Python to understand basic programming concepts and AppInventor to create fun and useful applications (Apps) for Android based phones and devices. The course encourages students to cooperate with others and use their imagination, creativity, and problem solving skills to develop a successful final project.
Text book
- Allen B. Downey. Think Python: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist. Green Tea Press. Free Book: http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/
- App Inventor: Create Your Own Android Apps. O’Reilly, 2011.
A pre-publication draft of this book can be found here: http://www.appinventor.org/text2011/
References
- Ed Burnette. Hello, Android: Introducing Google’s Mobile Development Platform, Third Edition. Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2010.
Grading Policy
Portfolio and Programming Assignments Labs
In-class (and/or as homework) : 20%
Reading Assignments (10 take home quizzes) : 20%
Midterm Exam : 20%
Final Exam : 20%
Final Project : 20%
Total :100%
A = 93-100,
A- = 90-92.9,
B+ = 87-89.9,
B = 83-86.9,
B- = 80-82.9
C+ = 77-79.9,
C = 70-76.9,
D = 60-69.9,
F = <=59.90
Labs and Lectures
Every class there will be an in-class lab, which has to be completed during 50 to 60 minutes. This lab will reinforce what the student should have learned by the reading assignments and the short lecture preceding the lab. These labs will be graded at the end of the class by the instructor. There will not be makeup labs. Late labs will not be accepted and labs will be graded individually.
Portfolio and Programming Assignments
Labs and any extra credit will be considered like programming assignments, in which the student will develop a Python program or an App to solve a defined problem. Each programming assignment has to be delivered on Blackboard (a zip file containing the source code) and should be posted in the student portfolio. They are due the day of the class by midnight. The student’s portfolio should contain a web page for each programming assignment, for both Python programs and all the mobile Apps (including the ones from tutorials). Each webpage should contain as minimum the following: a description of the program/App, a picture of the main screen, a picture of the corresponding code or block diagram, the .apk file and barcode (for the apps), and the .zip file containing the source code. Late homework will not be accepted and ALL HOMEWORK MUST BE DONE INDIVIDUALLY. The website will be evaluated every week. If for any reason you miss a class, it is your responsibility to complete the corresponding programming assignments. ALL HOMEWORK MUST BE DONE INDIVIDUALLY
Reading Assignments
There will be reading assignments every class. The reading assignments will be evaluated with an online take home quiz (posted on Blackboard, which can be taken anytime before the quiz deadline). The student can answer the quiz with open book at home. Every quiz has to be completed one day before the next class (by midnight). The student has to attempts to pass the quiz. The system will take the highest score from these two attempts as final grade for the quiz. These quizzes, the ones related to reading assignments, represent 20% of the final grade. If for any reason you miss a class, it is your responsibility to complete the corresponding reading assignments.
Midterm
A midterm exam will be administered to test the knowledge acquired up to half of the semester. Students are required to take exams the day and time they are scheduled. There is no make-up exam unless you have a valid reason according to CityTech’s policy.
Final Examination
There will be one Final Examination worth 20% of your grade. This is usually given on the week of final exams. It shall cover lecture’s materials from week 1 to week 12: cumulative exam.
Homework, Quizzes, Midterm, and Final Examination Appointment
There will be no make-up of missed homework, quizzes, midterm, and final examination except: Medical, Jury Duty, and ARMY duties.
Final Examination Appointment
There will be no make up of a missed final examination. If the missing of the final examination is unexcused, the student will receive the course grade computed with a Final Exam score of zero. If the student has an excused absence from the final examination, the student may elect to receive the course grade earned with the final counted as a zero or, the student may elect to receive the grade of “I” and make arrangements to complete the course by taking the final examination in this course in the next semester, for this case, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange to complete the course.
Academic Integrity Policy Statement
Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. Some examples of academic dishonesty are cheating, plagiarism, Internet plagiarism, obtaining unfair advantage, falsification of records and official documents, and collusion.
Attendance Policy
Under CUNY mandate, attendance in EACH class is REQUIRED and attendance WILL be taken at each class meeting. You are allowed a MAXIMUM of 3 absences. If you exceed that number, you may receive a WU grade. If for any reason you miss a class, it is your responsibility to review all the material covered in the class and to complete the corresponding reading and programming assignments. EXCESSIVE LATENESS (more than 15 minutes) will be considered to be an absence from that class meeting. Attendance will be taken at the start of each class and lab session and factored into the final grade. It is understood that sometimes things happen and a student will not be penalized if the student has an excused absence (such as a medical excuse) or if one has less than 3 un-excused absences.
In Class Expected Behavior
Students should show respect to each other and to the professor. The use of phones for talking and texting during the class is prohibited, except, of course, when you are programming or testing a program (App) directly into your phone. Please make sure you put your phone on silent mode or to turn it off. We want to avoid distractions to the rest of the class.
Use of the Class Computer
Facebook, tweeter, or any social network or communication application or website should NOT be used on the class computers. You are not allowed to play games, or access any site containing information irrelevant for our course. Use your computer to work on the class projects and tutorials, to find information that allows you to either participate on class or to understand the concepts studied in class.
Notes
1. Upon class performance, the instructor reserves the right to modify the present outline anytime.
2. The following is an example of a calculation of your class grade, based on a hypothetical set of grades obtained for each of items listed in the Grading Policy:
Suppose you get a grade of 9 out of 10 (90% out of maximum 100%) for the “Portfolio and Programming Assignments Labs”, a grade of 2/3 (or 66.7% out of max 100%) for your “Reading Assigned” “take home quizzes”, an average grade of 80% (of 100% max) for “Midterm” (further calculations necessary on your part to adjust for different quiz grading scales), a grade of 75% on your “Final Exam” and 85% for “Final Project”
According to the Grading Policy for this course, those grades must be multiplied by the corresponding factors shown below:
Portfolio and Programming Assignments Labs
In-class (and/or as homework) : 20%
Reading Assignments (10 take home quizzes) : 20%
Midterm Exam : 20%
Final Exam : 20%
Final Project : 20%
Weights/Values of points to be added up for resulting final course grade
Portfolio & Prog. Assigned Labs: 0.20 x 90 = 18
Reading Assigned Quizzes: 0.20 x 66.7 = 13.34
Midterm Exam 0.20 x 80 = 16
Final Exam : 0.20 x 75 = 15
Final Project: 0.20 x 85 = 17
==========================================
Final Course Grade (sum of above values) = 79.34 which is a letter grade of C+
Please make sure you keep track of your own progress as it will help keep you better informed of how well you have done & how much better you will need to do in order to get an expected grade. This responsibility is left to each student for improvement opportunities.
You may experiment with Incomplete information (for example: make assumptions of what your midterm
Week1: Dates TBA in file Week2: Wk3:
Wk 4: Wk 5 : Wk 6:
Wk. 7 : Wk 8 : Wk 9:
Wk. 10: Wk 11 : Wk 12:
Wk. 13: Wk 14 : Proj. Presentation Wk 15: Final Exam
