Lisa N. Michaud / lmichaud@wheatoncollege.edu / Science Center, 106A

Welcome to the BASICS OF COMPUTING .

ANNOUNCEMENTS Last Updated: 12/4/07

Due Friday, December 7th:

• HW #13, Artificial Intelligence
• HW #14 (optional for extra credit): Reflecting on good data visualization practices

CLICK HERE to see the archive of past handouts and assignments.

OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE

A Computer Science major typically starts with courses that are sometimes referred to as "CS 1" and "CS 2." This course is a kind of "CS 0." It is not about "how to use a computer." Rather, it takes you beyond the perspective of a "user" into that of a "Computer Scientist," one who understands how the machine works, and how it can be applied as a universal tool. Topics we cover include:

• How computers store and use information
• An introduction to mathematical logic and Boolean algebra
• How the parts of the computer work in concert
• How computers communicate with each other across networks
• What an operating system does to manage the different programs running on the computer
• How to use the computer to organize and analyze sets of data
• How to write fun computer programs using Alice (see below)
• An introduction to some advanced concepts in Computer Science

For the first time this year, this course has incorporated the Alice platform for designing computer programs. Alice makes all of the basics of object-based computer program design accessible and fun; your programs will manipulate characters in a 3-dimensional world, similar to those you might have encountered playing games like The Sims. Examples are shown to the right.

While you can go on to become a Computer Science major after this course (and many do), "The Basics of Computing " does not count toward the major; it does, however, count toward a Computer Science minor and satisfies the Math/Logic and Quantitative Analysis requirements.

LECTURES AND LABS

Please note that the class meets together three times a week in lecture and then additionally for a lab. You must be signed up for the lab. If you have not done so, please do so immediately. You must attend the first lab on Tuesday, September 4th. In order to complete the labs, you must know and be able to type the password to your Wheaton account. Not knowing your password is not a viable reason for failing to turn in a lab assignment. Attendance in lab is mandatory; no credit is given for a lab that is missed.

EMAIL

Information and announcements will be frequently communicated via email. It is the student's responsibility to check for email announcements on a regular basis throughout the week.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

There are two required course textbooks:

• Computer Science Illuminated , third edition, by Nell Dale and John Lewis.
• Learning to Program with Alice, Brief Edition, by Dann, Cooper, and Pausch.

Additional handouts will be provided in class to supplement the texts. Please contact me if financial hardship makes it difficult for you to purchase them.

WEBSITE

If you are viewing this text on paper, you may want to also check it out online at:

http://cs.wheatoncollege.edu/lmichaud/teaching/106/

The online version will be kept up-to-date with homework assignments and announcements.