CSE 231

Introduction to Programming I
Summer Semester, 2024

Description

Introduction to programming using Python. Design, implementation and testing of programs to solve problems primarily in engineering, mathematics and science. Programming fundamentals, functions, classes, lists, and dictionaries.

Objectives

In this course, students will study general programming concepts, as well as a modern programming language which illustrates those concepts. Students will design, implement and test Python programs.

At the end of this course when presented with a problem we expect that a student will respond: "Hey, I can write a program to do that!"

Highlights

You are responsible for all the details in the syllabus below, but here are highlights.

• Grade Points: 1000 points from weekly programming projects, practical assessments, chapter exercises, and three exams.
• Labs including pre-labs are required: your final grade will be reduced by 0.5 for each lab that you miss more than two.
• You can collaborate on solving the problems (understanding the instructions) in programming projects. However, when the discussion turns into coding the collaboration should stop. If you submit a code that is not yours or that you cannot explain, you will get a zero in the project and an Academic Dishonesty Report (ADR) will be filed.
• You may choose to use generative AI in your projects. If you select this option, you may use AI only after Exam 1 and you must work independently, and not with another CS231 student. If your code is highly-similar to code submitted by another student, we will move forward with academic integrity proceedings. Claiming that your code was generated by AI will not be considered a valid excuse. You should keep in mind that AI tools sometimes generate fairly unusual solutions, and code that might be similar to code generated by others using similar prompts. You should get the other idea and write it in your own way even if the code works.
• You should never submit a code that is not yours even if you received that code from a TA or from any Generative AI.
• Using or copying code from any of the external websites (e.g. Chegg, Brainly, Quizlet, Youtube, Stackoverflow, etc.) and other similar websites other than the course websites will result in an Academic Dishonesty Report (ADR), in addition to receiving a zero on the project your final grade for the course will be reduced a full grade, i.e. we take your final numerical grade and subtract 1.0.
• If we determine that you were the one who asked the question in any of these websites, additional sanctions will be requested.
• Note the policy of Chegg and similar websites. The policy of all courses in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering for submission of student work (e.g. assignments and/or exam solutions) based on those found on Chegg, Brainly, Quizlet, Youtube, Stackoverflow and other similar websites will result in an Academic Dishonesty Report (ADR) and an automatic failing grade of zero (0.0) for the course. Note that in this course, we have a lesser penalty.
• You are not allowed to share your code for projects to GitHub until after the semester is over. If you post to GitHub, make sure that the folder is private (it is public by default).
• When you come to the helproom/office hours, Instructors and TAs will not help you if you cannot explain the code that you already have or explain your thought process.
• We frequently send email from msu.edu and cse.msu.edu . It is important that you ensure that your email client isn't routing our emails to Junk -- otherwise you will miss critical email about the course.
• All assignments iquiries should go through the class forum on Piazza. For any other private issues, you sould contact both instructors (Dr. Zaabar and Dr. Khalifeh).
• We will never ask you to send us your assignments by email or any other means. The only way to submit an assignement is through Codio. If you experience any technical issues before the deadline, you need to send an email to both instructors (Dr. Zaabar and Dr. Khalifeh) before the deadline including your file and the documentation of the technical issues. Otherwise, no extensions will be provided.
• All students will take exams remotely through Zoom. Check below for times of all exams. For exams you must have access to a computer that can run a lockdown browser, e.g. a Chromebooks and tablets will not work.
• We require a camera (e.g., cellphone camera, tablet camera). The camera should be positioned in a way we can see the student, his entire desk and his screen. The exam will be on lockdown browser in a device different than the one used to zoom.
• Per university requirement, you must have access to a laptop. A Chromebook is not a general purpose computer and will not run the IDLE used in this course (or any non-browser-based-tool).
• Any extenuating circumstances that impact on your participation in the course should be discussed with your lecture instructor as soon as those circumstances are known (such as absences due to illness, religious observances, or other required school activities). University policy allows for absences due to religious observances, but "(i)t is the responsibility of those students who need to be absent to inform their instructor at least two weeks before the holiday, make arrangements in advance with their instructors, and to catch up on any material discussed and assignments given during that class period. Accommodations must never fundamentally alter an essential requirement of the course."
• For submission and auto-grading of assignments, we use "Codio", a commercial product. There is a $40 charge that you have to pay.
• It should be noted that there is no grace period for payment. You should be prepared to pay the first day or you would not be able to work. Instructors do not have a book funding to purchase subscription for students.
• For optimal Codio performance, please make sure that you are using "Google Chrome" browser and that you accept third-party cookies from Codio website.

Instructors

Course Web Site

Couse Web Site: https://www.cse.msu.edu/~cse231

Discussion boards will be on https://piazza.com

Required Course Material

• The Practice of Computing using Python, 3rd Ed. by Punch and Enbody. ISBN-13: 9780134379760 (or 9780134380315 ) Other ISBN-13 numbers are website only (not text) or a text bundled with extraneous material.
• Several copies are available in the Affordable Textbook Program at the MSU Main Library. Follow that link, sign in with your MSU netID, click GetIt!, click the highlighted link under Request Digital Learning, fill out the form. Note that the form asks for the barcode but does not require it (so those without a physical ID can still get the text).
• For submission and auto-testing of projects we use "Codio", a commercial product. There is a $40 charge that you have to pay, otherwise, your access will be revoked.

Due Dates

The Due Dates Page is your guide to due dates for the semester: https://www.cse.msu.edu/~cse231/Online/due_dates_us24.html

To allow some flexibility:

• Programming Projects: late submissions are reduced by 10% for every 5 hours late or a fraction of it, for up to one day late; no credit after one day. Check the actual penalty in each assignment specification. .
• Labs : Contact your TA about any extenuating circumstances before lab deadline. Old labs cannot be made up.

Except for urgent documented circumstances (e.g. medical reasons, family emergencies, school activities, etc.). There will be no other extensions.

Due times are U.S. Eastern Standard Time. Codio uses your computer's time setting to display time in your browser so if your computer's time is set to a different time zone, you will be misled by displayed due dates and times.

Course Grades

Each student's course grade will be based on the sum of the points earned in the following categories:

Examinations	(60% of total course points)
Computer Projects	(35% of total course points)
Chapter Exercises	(5% of total course points)

To be eligible to earn a non-zero grade in the course, a student must earn at least 50% of the total points for the examinations and earn at least 50% of the total points for the computer projects.

The following table gives the scale for course grades:

4.0	90% of points available
3.5	85% of points available
3.0	80% of points available
2.5	75% of points available
2.0	70% of points available
1.5	65% of points available
1.0	60% of points available

The instructor reserves the right to adjust the scale for course grades, if necessary. The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the course schedule and syllabus as necessary to facilitate learning.

Important: Students who get a zero ("no credit") on more than two (2) laboratory exercises will have their course grade reduced by 0.5 for each laboratory exercise missed beyond two. For example, if a student had sufficient points to normally earn a 3.0, but zeros four (4) laboratory exercises, that student's grade will be reduced by 2*0.5 to a 2.0 course grade.

Exams

A midterm examination and a final examination will be conducted during the semester, and will constitute 60% of the total course points. You will be allowed one sheet of notes (8.5x11 inches) both sides, but no electronic devices. Non-native English speakers may bring a paper dictionary.

Students will take exams remotely through Zoom. We require a camera (e.g., cellphone camera). The camera should be positioned in a way we can see the student, his entire desk and his screen. The exam is online and is required to be done through the lockdown browser (failure to use the lockdown browser is grounds for a zero on the exam and possibly the course). Coding keystrokes are recorded.

• Midterm Exam (30%) Thursday, June 6, 06:00 PM EST

  Midterm Exam Coding Second Chance Friday, June 7, 07:00 PM EST

• Final Exam (30%) Thursday, June 27, 06:00 PM EST

  Final Exam Coding Second Chance Friday, June 28, 07:00 PM EST

All issues related to the final examination will follow the policies and schedule of the University: MSU Final Exam Schedule.

Labs

Labs are mandatory and there will be two laboratory exercises due every week. Missing labs will reduce your final grade (see below).

The labs are designed to be learning tools that complement the lectures and assigned readings. They are designed to be collaborative experiences where students work with each other and the Teaching Assistant to complete the lab exercises.

• Labs are credit/no-credit. To receive credit for a lab
  1. You must complete the Pre-Lab, before the pre-lab deadline. Pre-labs are "warm-up" for the labs and are not expected to be perfect -- our expectation is necessarily fuzzy for pre-labs: "you are expected to get most of them correct most of the time."
  2. When codio tests exist, they test perfection. The auto-tests allow you to verify that your code is correct. However, you can get credit for correct Lab code that isn't perfect, i.e. it is possible to get credit for code that fails the auto-tests. (Note that Projects are more strict with respect to auto-tests.)
  3. Adhering to the Coding Standard is expected, but expectations are less strict than for Projects.

Online students (Section 730) hand in lab exercises using Codio and are due at 11:59 PM on the due date (usually Wednesdays and Fridays).

Important: Students who get a zero on more than two (2) laboratory exercises will have their course grade reduced by 0.5 for each laboratory exercise missed beyond two. For example, if a student had sufficient points to normally earn a 3.0, but zeros four (4) laboratory exercises, that student's grade will be reduced by 2*0.5 to a 2.0 course grade.

Chapter Exercises

Students will be assigned Chapter Exercises (on Codio). Collaboration is encouraged.

Chapter Exercises constitute 5% of the course points. Chapter Exercises are recorded as Correct/NotCorrect. There is no limit to the number of tries to getting a chapter exercise correct. For each question your solutions will be saved if you click on the "Check It" button. Final grades are not recorded until you manually click on the "mark as completed" button.

Computer Projects

A series of computer projects will be assigned, and will constitute 25% of the total course points. The projects will include the design and implementation of solutions using Python. Projects are submitted through Codio only. Late projects are not accepted (see exception above). If you are unable to complete a project by the due date because of illness or personal emergency, or a documented technical issue beyond your control (computer crash, no access to internet, etc.) contact your instructor with the appropriate documentation. If appropriate, an extension will be granted.

Since, you will have access to all the project files (instructions, tests, etc.) in the course website, if the technical issue is with the submission website (Codio), you need to send your file to both instructors before the due date. Otherwise, your submission will not be accepted.

Programming projects are to be done individually -- unlike labs and chapter exercises that are done collaboratively. If the coding portion of the programming project is done in collaboration with another student, you will both be assigned a zero with an Academic Dishonesty report filed with the University : see note about Academic Integrity below.

For submission and auto-grading of projects we use Codio, a commercial product. There is a $40 charge.

Hard Coding: For some tests it is possible to cheat the tests by simply printing the expected output instead of writing code that solves the specified problem. An alternative is to assign a variable with a particular value to achieve the same effect. That is called "hard coding" and will earn a score of zero for the entire project.

Use of prohibited concepts: you are only allowed to use the material taught in the class up to the week of the assignments. In addition, we sometimes prohibits the use of specific concepts in some of the assignments to maintain the objectives of the course and assignment. Any use of prohibited concepts will results in a zero for the entire project.

Utilizing AI Coding Tools

A few notes if you choose this option:

• Your code will still be checked for plagiarism. If you submit code that is highly-similar to code submitted by another student, we will move forward with academic integrity proceedings. Claiming that your code was generated by AI will not be considered a valid excuse. You should keep in mind that AI tools sometimes generate fairly unusual solutions, and code that might be similar to code generated by others using similar prompts.
• Course staff will not assist you if you do not understand your own code. Do not ask AI to complete a portion of the code and then come to the helproom for support if you don’t understand what it generated. Debugging and understanding code generated by AI is part of the challenge of using these tools.
• Quizzes will cover both coding and conceptual content. You will be expected to complete these questions unaided during the allowed time. The objective of the class is to teach code reading, code writing, and ability to identify and rectify errors
• If you have questions about this option, please ask on the forum or come to the instructors office hours.

Academic Integrity

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering expects all students to adhere to MSU's General Student Regulation 1.00, Protection of Scholarship and Grades, which states:

The principles of truth and honesty are fundamental to the educational process and the academic integrity of the University; therefore, no student shall:

1.01 claim or submit the academic work of another as one's own.

1.02 procure, provide, accept or use any materials containing questions or answers to any examination or assignment without proper authorization.

1.03 complete or attempt to complete any assignment or examination for another individual without proper authorization.

1.04 allow any examination or assignment to be completed for oneself, in part or in total, by another without proper authorization.

1.05 alter, tamper with, appropriate, destroy or otherwise interfere with the research, resources, or other academic work of another person.

1.06 fabricate or falsify data or results

In particular, examinations, quizzes and computer projects are individual assignments: anything which you submit for grading must be your own work.

For the computer projects, you are encouraged to discuss the specifications and problem-solving strategies with your instructor, your Teaching Assistant, and other students from the class only. However, once you begin implementing your solution in Python, you must work individually. Under no circumstances should you allow another student to view or copy your solution or discuss codes with another student. Note that each project solution is electronically compared to all other solutions to identify similar solutions.

Students who submit similar solutions will receive a penalty grade, such as a score of zero for that assignment or a grade of zero in the course. Note that while the filing of an Academic Dishonesty Report depends on the details of the submission of similar programs, the application of a zero grade does not.

If you show your code to another student, you are almost guaranteed a zero because most novice programmers will not be able to think of another way to do it and end up copying your code or sharing it with someone else who copies it.

Posting your completed assignment on a collaborative coding platform such as Github is an extremely searchable way for others to access your work, even if you do not know the student that takes your code. You are not allowed to post your completed assignment online until the end of the semester.

If you use or copy code from websites other than the course website, e.g. Chegg, in addition to receiving a zero on the project your final grade for the course will be reduced a full grade, i.e. we take your final numerical grade and subtract 1.0. Note that this rule applies if Chegg, or similar, code is in your submission, e.g. if a friend gave you Chegg code, this rule applies as you are responsible for the code you submit.

In all cases of penalty grades an Academic Dishonesty Report is filed with the University.

The "oops" rule: Sometimes a student will use another students code as a deadline nears and regret it the next day so we have the following option. Within 24 hours of the regular due date for a programming project you may withdraw your submission by sending an email to both instructors. A withdrawn project will be worth 0 points, and will not be considered for academic dishonesty (that is, no Academic Dishonesty Report will be filed).

Failure to use the lockdown browser on an exam is grounds for a zero on the exam and possibly the course.

Finally, consider the Spartan Honor Code: As a Spartan, I will strive to uphold values of the highest ethical standard. I will practice honesty in my work, foster honesty in my peers, and take pride in knowing that honor is worth more than grades. I will carry these values beyond my time as a student at Michigan State University, continuing the endeavor to build personal integrity in all that I do.

Notes

Any extenuating circumstances that impact on your participation in the course should be discussed with your lecture instructor as soon as those circumstances are known (such as absences due to illness, religious observances, or other required school activities).

All students are expected to be responsible users of the computer system provided for this course. Account usage guidelines published by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering are posted under:

Account Usage Guidelines ( https://www.cse.msu.edu/facility/security/msu_policy.php )

Commercialization of lecture notes and course materials is not permitted in this course.

Calendar

See https://www.cse.msu.edu/~cse231/Online/due_dates_us24.html