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CPSC 3118
Spring 2008
21198

Course Syllabus
CPSC 3118 Introduction to Graphical User Interfaces
MW 6:00 - 7:15 PM
CCT 407

Prerequisite – CPSC 2108.

The primary purpose of this course is to provide experience and skills in designing and programming event-driven Windows applications using a visual development environment and tools. This offering of this course highlights the use of Visual C# .NET to create graphical user interfaces. Extensive lab work and programming required.
 

• Students will demonstrate knowledge of the graphic user interface design and development.
  • Strategies and actions used to produce the outcome:
    1. Study of graphical user interfaces.
    2. Study of programming languages used to implement user interfaces.
  • ABET criteria covered: A, B, C, D, F, G, I, J and K.
  • Program objectives covered: 2, 3, 6 and 8.
  • Assessment methods: exams, programming assignments, and project implementation, documentation and presentation.
• Students will demonstrate ability to program graphical user interfaces using Visual C# .NET.
  • Strategies and actions used to produce the outcome:
    • Study of how to program applicaitons using Visual C# .NET.
  • ABET criteria covered: A, B, C, D, F, G, I, J and K.
  • Program objectives covered: 2, 3, 6 and 8.
  • Assessment methods: exams, programming assignments, and project implementation, documentation and presentation.

Grades in this course will be based on the following assessments:

• Midterm Exam - 20%
• Class attendance - 5%
• Programming assignments - 40%
• Final Project Proposal - 10%
• Final Project Implementation - 25%

Final grades will be assigned according to the following schedule:

Percentage	Grade
90 – 100	A
80 – 89	B
70 – 79	C
60 – 69	D
<60	F

As a student in this course, you are responsible to:

• manage your time and maintain the discipline required to meet the course requirements;
• complete reading assignments prior to the the beginning of each class;
• attend class regularly and actively participate in classroom discussions;
• complete assignments by their due dates;
• abide by documented lab rules;
• respect the value of the other students' time while in the classroom, this means no surfing the Web or playing games;
• decide on and develop a final project, and
• read any e-mail sent by the instructor and respond accordingly.

“I didn’t know” is not an acceptable excuse for failing to meet the course requirements. If you fail to meet your responsibilities, you do so at your own risk.

While in the classroom, students should turn off cell phones or place them on vibrate. In addition, to be respectful of other students' time and money, if the classroom is equipped with computers, playing games and/or surfing the Web is not allowed since these activities can be distracting to other students.
 

As your instructor in this course, I am responsible to:

• prepare weekly lessons that demonstrate and help students understand the course material,
• prepare exams that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge of the course material,
• actively solicit and participate in classroom discussions,
• grade exams, programming assignments, and the final project deliverables and post scores within one week of the end of the week in which they are submitted; and
• read any e-mail sent by students and respond accordingly within 48 hours.

Attending class regularly is important to your success in this course. If you miss two or more classes in a row, you may receive a WF. If you miss a class, be prepared to obtain all lecture notes, slides, assignments, and other information from other students. If an emergency prevents you from turning in an assignment or taking an exam as scheduled, please contact me to make alternative arrangements.
 

The following is the tentative schedule for the course. It is subject to change. A current schedule will be maintained in the CougarView calendar. 

Supplemental course instructions and material will be available through CougarView. You can access CougarView at:

https://colstate.view.usg.edu/  

At this page, click on the "Login" icon within the CougarView portion of the page to activate the CougarView logon page. Your CougarView username and password are:

Username: lastname_firstname
Password: ddmmyy

where "ddmmyy" is your birthdate: 2 digits for day, month, and year.

If you try the above and CougarView will not let you in, please use the "Need Help with CougarView?" link below the username and password textboxes to request help. If you are still having problems gaining access after a few days in the class, please e-mail me.

Once you've entered CougarView, you will see a list of courses you have access to which contains some combination of the phrases "CPSC 3118" and "Spring 2008."  If you don't see this entry in the list, please e-mail me.
 

The details concerning programming assignments will be available within CougarView. When you have completed a programming assignment, zip the application's source code and all supporting files (e.g., images) into one file, then upload and submit this one file into CougarView using the Assignments link. To zip an application in Windows XP or Vista, simply right-click the folder containing the application, select "Send To," then select "Compressed (zipped) Folder."
 

Additional details concerning the Final Project will be provided in CourgarView.
 

All assignments are due on the day given in the assignment and no later than 11:59 PM (23:59) (Eastern Time).  Assignments submitted or modified after the assignment due date will assessed a late penalty as described below.

If circumstances prevent the timely posting of assignments, please notify me by e-mail within CougarView. Unless you make prior arrangements with me, any assignment submitted after its assigned due date will be considered late. Late assignments may be submitted up to three days beyond their assigned due date. However, late assignments submitted within the three days following their assigned due date are subject to a 10% reduction in points for each day they are submitted beyond the assigned due date. Assignments not submitted by the assigned due date or within the three days following the assigned due due will be assessed a grade of zero (0).  

Because of course grade reporting requirements, the final project must be submitted by the assigned due date -- no exceptions! Any final project not submitted by the assigned due date will be assessed a grade of zero (0).
 

Extra credit, if available, will be described in the particular assignment in which it can be earned.
 

If unusual circumstances preclude you from completing the course and you have satisfactorily completed all the other course requirements up until that point, I will award you a grade of "Incomplete" provided you contact me regarding the unusual circumstances and you agree to certain conditions for removal of the "Incomplete." You must, however, contact me and arrange for the Incomplete as soon as you are aware that you will be unable to complete the course and before the last day of class.
 

All classes will be held in a computer lab in the Center for Commerce and Technology building. This lab has PCs equipped with Microsoft Visual C# .NET 2005 (a component of Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2005), which will be our primary development tool. In completing your lab assignments, you will also find Microsoft Visual C# .NET in the department's tutoring lab as well. 
 

Because you are enrolled in a TSYS Department of Computer Science course, you may obtain free copies of certain Microsoft software from the Department for use at home as part of the MSDNAA agreement. The list of available software includes Visual Studio .NET 2005, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP, SQL Server 2000, and many others. To obtain the free software, you can pick up CDs from the Department office, download the software, or have the software CDs mailed to you.

Picking up the CDs. If you live or work in the local Columbus area, you can drop by the TSYS Department of Computer Science on the fourth floor in the new Center for Commerce and Technology building and check out a copy of the CDs. If you do not live or work in the local Columbus area, you may either download the software or request the CDs be mailed to you.

Downloading the software. The free Microsoft software is available for download from http://msdn08.e-academy.com/colstate_cs/ as part of the MSDNAA agreement. Once the software has been downloaded, it must be installed in accordance with the MSDNAA Agreement (http://www.msdnaa.com/programusage.aspx). The account to use to access the download site is your CSU email address. For example:

Username: smith_john@colstate.edu

If you have not received your password in a previous email, click on the ">> Forgot Password?" link under the "Log Me In!" button on the home page of the site, then type in your CSU email address and click on the "Go Find It!" button. If the system still does not recognize you, please send a message to cs@colstate.edu. Be sure to include your CSU email address in the message.

Requesting the CDs be mailed to you. As an alternative to downloading the software, you may request the software CDs be mailed to you. Simply send an e-mail message to cs@colstate.edu.  Include in the message your name, address, and the name and number of this course. Once you have received the CDs, you must install the software in accordance with the MSDNAA Agreement (http://www.msdnaa.com/programusage.aspx). Once you have installed the software, you must place the CDs back in the box they came in (or a suitable container) and return them to the TSYS Department of Computer Science. There should be a return label in the box the CDs were sent to you in, but you will have to pay for the return postage. 
 

Student assistants in the Computer Center and in the open lab can help you with basic computer-related problems (such as logging onto the network, saving your work, etc.), but they are not obligated to help you with your assignments. In fact, they typically know very little about Visual C# .NET programming. Several tutors in the Department of Computer Science lab are also available to help you with the assignments. Their schedule is typically posted in the Computer Science departmental office. Do not ask a tutor to write a program for you. They are instructed to assist you in understanding concepts only.
 

No cheating in any form will be tolerated. Penalties for academic dishonesty may include a zero grade on the assignment or exam/quiz, a failing grade for the course, suspension from the Computer Science program, and dismissal from the program. All instances of cheating will be documented in writing with a copy placed in the Department’s files. Students will be expected to discuss the academic misconduct with the faculty member and the chairperson. For more details see the Student Handbook: http://studentlife.colstate.edu/handbook.asp.

In programming courses such as this, you must be particularly diligent in submitting only your own work. In completing the assignments for this course, you may not copy any other coding from any other source other than the course text and material presented in class. Doing otherwise will be considered plagiarism and will result in the sanctions described above.
 

CSU does not guarantee the confidentiality of information shared by students in the course environment. Therefore, students should not share any confidential information from employers unless explicitly released for public use.
 

If you have a documented disability as described by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 933-112 Section 504) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and would like to request academic and/or physical accommodations please contact Joy Norman at the Office of Disability Services in the Center for Academic Support and Student Retention, Tucker Hall (706) 568-2330, as soon as possible. Course requirements will not be waived but reasonable accommodations may be provided as appropriate.