| Instructor: | James Gary |
| Office: | 4125 COHH 745-6373 |
| E-Mail: | james.gary@wku.edu |
| Homepage: | http://people.wku.edu/james.gary |
| Office Hours: | by appointment |
Text: ``Introduction to Java Programming'' 9th Edition, Y. Daniel Liang, Pearson, 2013.
Prerequisites: This class is reserved for students in the Gatton
Academy of Mathematics and Science.
Content: A study of the algorithmic approach in the analysis of
problems and their computational solutions using a high-level structured
language (Java).
Grading: You will be graded on programs, quizzes, term project, and
exams.
There will be two topical exams and a cumulative final. There will be
approximately 6 programming assignments. The term project will be a group
effort and have more depth than the programming assignments. More details
will be given in class.
Your final average will be computed using the following weights:
| Programs | 25% |
| Term Project | 10% |
| Labs | 15% |
| Quizzes | 5% |
| Exams | 20% (2 @ 10% each) |
| Final | 25% |
and your final grade will be computed using the following scale:
| 90-100 | A |
| 80-89 | B |
| 70-79 | C |
| 60-69 | D |
| 0-59 | F |
Policies: The programs will have an assigned due date and you are
expected to turn them in at the beginning of class on that date.
Late assignments will be penalized at a rate of 3% per day, up to a maximum
of 7 days, after which you will receive a 0 for that assignment. The
exams will be 1 class period each, in class, closed books, closed notes.
Exams may not be made up
without a valid excuse. If you know that you are going to be absent, make
an effort to let the instructor know it as well. Incomplete grades will only
be assigned in case of severe hardship.
The Thursday afternoon meeting will consist primarily of closed laboratory work. You will be given a set of problems to solve or small programs to write that are intended to be completed during the class. There may sometimes be preliminary work to be done before the lab or follow up work after-wards. It is critical that you bring your laptop to the lab sessions.
Regular attendance is critical to success in this course. Be advised that a considerable amount of material that is not in your text will be covered in lectures. You are responsible for that material. You are also expected to be on time for class. An occasional tardy is not a concern, but consistently being late for class is disruptive to the class and disrespectful of your fellow students.
Exams are to be taken at the scheduled time. In particular, the final examination schedule is mandated by the university and early finals will not be given. The final exam is scheduled for Friday, Dec 14 10:30 - 12:30. This time is mandated by the University and is not negotiable. Please take this into account when planning your winter break.
You are expected to do your own work. When you use books or other references, such as web sites, you must document those sources. This is true whether you use source code verbatim or adapt it to your needs. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your own work. Do not allow others to examine your programs and do not leave copies of your programs on the public computers. Academic dishonesty is a very serious offense and the punishment is severe. If you have any questions regarding proper citation of sources, consult your professor.
Assisting others during the lab sessions is generally allowed, except in obvious cases like during quizzes. The programming assignments outside of the lab are individual assignments. No other student should ever examine your program.
If you are caught cheating, you will receive a failing grade for the course.
The following two paragraphs are mandated by Western Kentucky University:
``Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course much contact the Office for Student Disability Services in Downing University Center, A-200. The telephone number is (270)745-5004.
Per university policy, please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services.''
Credit for a course in which a grade of "F" has been received can be earned only by repeating the course in residence unless prior approval is given by the head of the department in which the course was taken.
Tentative Schedule: We hope to cover the following material in the
textbook. We may at times be able to move a bit faster, and some chapters
may take a bit longer. Java is a tricky language to learn in a strict linear
fashion. Some topics may be informally used early, then explained in detail
at a later point. Note the scheduled exams which will cover material
discussed up to that point.
| Week | Reading | Topics |
| Aug 27 | Chapter 1 | Intro to Programming |
| Sept 3 | Chapter 2 | Variables and Data Types |
| Sept 10 | Chapter 3 | Selection |
| Sept 17 | Chapter 4 | Loops |
| Sept 24 | None | Catch up |
| Oct 1 | Exam 1 | |
| Oct 8 | Chapter 5 | Methods |
| Oct 15 | Chapter 8 | Objects and Classes |
| Oct 22 | Chapter 10 | Object Oriented Programming |
| Oct 29 | Chapter 6 | Arrays |
| Nov 5 | Chapter 7 | Sorting, Searching, and Multi-dimensional Arrays |
| Nov 12 | Chapter 11 | Inheritance and Polymorphism |
| Nov 19 | Exam 2 | |
| Nov 26 | Chapter 14 | Exceptions and File I/O |
| Dec 3 | None | Catch-up and review |