Syllabus

Internet Development I - COMP 250

Section 1: 1:00 – 2:15 TR,  Science 60

Section 2: 2:25 – 3:40 TR,  Science 60

Spring 2004

 

 

Instructor:             Frank McCown                                       

Contact:                279-4434,  HU Box 10764,  fmccown@harding.edu   (Home: 279-9332)

Home Page:          http://www.harding.edu/fmccown  (Syllabus, Outline, Quizzes, Calendar, useful links)
                                http://taz2.harding.edu/~fmccown  (Class examples – intranet only)

Office Hours:        Lee 120-A:   10:45 – 11:45, 3 – 5 MWF and 4 – 5 TR or by appointment

 

 

 

Course Description

 

This course will cover a wide variety of topics dealing with Internet development including HTML, Web graphics, cascading style sheets, JavaScript, DHTML, CGI programming with C++, and PHP development.  The Linux platform will be used.  Prerequisite: COMP 170 or 150/151.

 

Required textbook: Creating Web Pages with HTML and Dynamic HTML, 2nd Ed by Patrick Carey (Course Technology - 2003)

Optional textbook: PHP Bible, 2nd Ed by Tim Converse and Joyce Park (Wiley – 2002)

 

 

 

Exams

 

There will be two regular exams (100 points each), and a final comprehensive exam (150 points) that will also include all material covered after the second exam.

 

If for any reason you are not able to take an exam, you must notify me before the exam (or as soon as you are physically possible).  Failure to do so will result in a zero for the exam.  A message on voice mail is preferred.  If an official school function takes you out of class on an exam date, it is your responsibility to make arrangements one week prior to the exam as to when you will take the exam.  Usually it will be given early, not late.

 

 

 

Homework Assignments, Quizzes, and Projects

 

Homework assignments, quizzes, and projects will be assigned throughout the semester.  All work is individual work; there is no group work in this class.  Homework and quizzes will be 10 points each, and the lowest score will be dropped from your final score.  All quizzes will be taken using WebCT at http://webct.harding.edu.  You will need to take each quiz before class on the due date.  No make-up quizzes will be given.  You may use your text while you are taking the quiz, but you may not take the quiz with someone else or talk to someone else about the quiz before you take it.

 

There will be three 100 point projects.  These are major assignments requiring at least 6 hours of work.  The projects will require you to integrate all of the things you have learned and will demonstrate your mastery of the material.

 

 

 

Attendance

 

You are expected to be in class every day.  Attendance will not be taken, but it is definitely to your advantage to be present every day.  If you are absent, you need to get the notes from a friend and get any handouts that you missed from me.  The calendar on WebCT will also list what we covered on that day.  You are still expected to take any quizzes that are assigned.  I will not redo a lecture for someone missing class although I’d be happy to explain things further to you during scheduled office hours.  Late work will be assigned a penalty unless your absence is excused.

 

 

 

Extra Credit

 

You will receive 0.1% points extra credit to be added to your final grade for each Computer Seminar that you attend.  Seminar meets every Friday at 7:00 am and sometimes on Thursdays at 4:00 pm in Science 100.  The first seminar will begin around the 3rd week of the semester.  There will be approximately 15 seminars, thus allowing you to increase your final grade by 1.5%.  See http://www.harding.edu/comp/calendar.html for the complete schedule.

 

The McChallenge: 1% will be added to your final grade for the completion of an extra project which will be made available to you later in the semester.  The program will be due the Friday before final exams.  You can skip the project and still get the 1% added to your final grade if you defeat me in a game of basketball, tennis, racquetball, chess, Trivia Pursuit, or any other sport/game that I know how to play.  If you lose, you’ve still got to complete the project to get your 1%.  Only one challenge per semester.  Come by my office to schedule a time to play.

 

 


Grades

 

Standard letter grades: A = 90-100%, B = 80-89% C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, F = 0-59%

 


Final grades will be computed as follows:

 

Exams:                                    30%

Projects:                                  35%

Homework and Quizzes:        15%

Final Exam:                              20%

 


Late work: A maximum of 10% will be taken off each day (including weekends) an assignment is late, up to 50%.  Those with excused absences are still expected to turn in assignments as soon as you are physically capable of doing so.

 

Important!  Keep all of your programs, homework, etc. so if a grade gets marked down incorrectly, the mistake will be easily resolved. 


 

 

Assessment

 

Harding University, since its charter in 1924, has been strongly committed to providing the best resources and environment for the teaching-learning process.  The board, administration, faculty, and staff are wholeheartedly committed to full compliance with all criteria of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The university values continuous, rigorous assessment at every level for its potential to improve student learning and achievement and for its centrality in fulfilling the stated mission of Harding.  Thus, a comprehensive assessment program has been developed that includes both the Academic units and the Administrative and Educational Support (AES) units.  Specifically, all academic units will be assessed in reference to the following Expanded Statement of Institutional Purpose: The University provides programs that enable students to acquire essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions in their academic disciplines for successful careers, advanced studies, and servant leadership.
 
Near the completion of your major in the department of Computer Science & Computer Engineering, you will be assessed by a comprehensive examination covering core courses in your major.  This examination will influence your final grade in the senior capstone course.  The contents of this course will appear on the comprehensive examination.
                                                                                                                                                                   
Assessment of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of each student for the purpose of assigning a letter grade at the completion of this course will be based on the projects, quizzes, homework assignments, and exams that were described previously in this syllabus.

 

 

 

Comments

 

I expect every one of you to hold to the highest standard of personal conduct and integrity... that means you will not cheat on tests or class assignments.  Cheating is the willful misrepresentation of someone else's work as your own.  Specific examples include, but are not limited to, submitting work identical to someone else's, submitting part or all of a programming assignment identical to someone else's, or using unapproved sources of information, (e.g., notes, textbook, your neighbor's exam) during a quiz or exam.  This is a serious matter.  Anyone found cheating will receive an F for the course.

 

This does not mean you can’t help others with their assignments; everyone will at some time struggle and need assistance from their fellow students.  But simply giving a friend your source code to copy isn’t going to help your friend learn.  Warning: students who “work together” on a programming assignment (working on one program and each making a copy) are in danger of having one grade divided between them.  All homework and projects are individual assignments and are the responsibility of the individual.  Come by during office hours (or we’ll arrange a time) for assistance on homework.

 

If you ever need assistance in this class or anything else, please don’t hesitate to come by my office or give me a call.  If it’s an emergency and you really need help in the evening, feel free to call me at home, only please do not call after curfew.

 

*It is important that you check your Harding e-mail regularly (everyday) because I occasionally give hints or corrections to homework assignments via e-mail.  This is also the best way to communicate with the class outside of the classroom.

 

 

 

Students with Disabilities

 

It is the policy for Harding University to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law.  Therefore, any student with a documented disability condition (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the instructor and Student Support Services at the beginning of the semester.  SSS is located in Room 109 of the Lee Academic Center (279-4028).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Success is how high you bounce after you hit bottom.  – George Patton