During
the term there will be two in-class exams and a final examination.
Laboratory assignments will be given in the regularly scheduled
laboratory. In this section there will be a number of group activities,
in which assigned groups are to work together to complete an assignment. These
activities will be done both in class and outside of class.
Periodic quizzes may also be given. Your participation is important to
the success of your group, so you are expected to attend class regularly and
participate. Your final grade will be computed from your
performance on these components using the following weights:
|
COMPONENT |
WEIGHTED
PERCENT |
|
Exam
I |
15% |
|
Exam
II |
15% |
|
Laboratory
and other Assignments |
30% |
|
Final
Examination |
30% |
|
In-class
Activities/Participation (individual and group) |
10% |
With satisfactory performance in the lab, the
following minimum averages are required to guarantee the indicated
grade. (See section below regarding laboratory.)
A – 90; BA – 85; B – 80; CB – 75; C – 70; DC – 65; D
–60 . While the scale may be
changed slightly, it will only be changed to your benefit.
You must receive a passing grade (minimum 60%) in the
lab in order to pass the class.
There will be a series of laboratory programming assignments that you are to
complete during the term. A program is considered complete when it is
submitted and working correctly; otherwise, it is considered incomplete. Since
a major component of this course is learning to program in C#, the ability to
write programs is essential; therefore, in order to pass the laboratory
portion of the class you may have at most two incomplete laboratory
assignments. Late assignments are assessed a penalty of 5% per
day that they are late during the term (including weekends and any holidays).
There will also be a series of quizzes in the laboratory.
You are expected to do the laboratory assignments on
your own. While getting help with debugging or discussing an idea
on how to attack a problem is generally acceptable, take care that you don’t
use or duplicate a portion of another’s work. Working
together with someone on a step-by-step basis, can easily lead to two programs
that are essentially the same. This is not acceptable. Read carefully the
section below on Academic Honesty.
If you miss an exam, the decision as to whether or not it is made up and how it is made up will be made on an individual basis. To be excused there must be significant circumstances beyond your control. Generally this will require documentation, such as a doctor’s note in the case of illness. Normally, if the absence from an exam is excused, the average of your other exams will be used to replace it. If it is unexcused, 70% of the average of other exams will be used. At most one missed exam, excused or unexcused, will be made up in this way.
Please
note that the incomplete grade - I - is intended for the student who has
missed a relatively small portion of work due to circumstances beyond his/her
control. In general, performance on work done must be at a level of C or
better in order to qualify for an incomplete. An I grade will
not be given to replace a low or failing grade in the class.
The following statement has been approved and distributed by the Western Michigan University Faculty Senate:
You are responsible
for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in
the Undergraduate (pp. 274-276) [Graduate (pp. 26-28)] Catalog that pertain to Academic
Integrity. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and
forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. If
there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you
will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the
opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible,
you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you
are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an
assignment or test.
Unless otherwise told, you may not bring aids to exams.
Submission of another person’s work in part or whole is not permitted. Learning can certainly occur with discussion
of class material and assignments with other students, and we will be doing
collaborative activity from time to time, but at all times take care that you
don’t represent the work of another as your own. In most cases, laboratory work submitted
is to be your own work.
·
If you are copying
another’s work in part or whole, either by hand or electronically, you are
going too far.
·
If two or more
people are working so closely together that the outcomes, particularly on
significant portions of computer programs, are essentially line-by-line the
same in logical structure, they are going too far. In particular, two or more
people should not be simultaneously discussing a program and writing code. A
good rule of thumb to use would be to discard any written work (written by
hand or recorded electronically) that was done in collaboration with others
before coding your program.
·
You should not
give your completed work to someone else or accept another’s completed work to
“review or look at” in either hardcopy or electronic form. This too
easily facilitates copying. It is not uncommon for one person to
give a program to a “friend” or acquaintance to look at for assistance, only to
have the “friend” put his name on it and submit it for credit. Just don’t
do this. No one should be asking you for a copy of work that you have
done. Similarly, you should not ask to see someone else’s work.
If you are found responsible for violation of academic honesty in the
course, you will receive a penalty up to and including an E grade in the class.
Learning is the emphasis of this class, and in order to maintain the most positive setting for doing this and enabling all, including the instructor, to carry out tasks that will enable learning, there are several rules that need to be followed within the classroom setting. You are requested to pay close attention to these and to follow them.