COS-116-OL


	Syllabus for COS-116-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

C Programming offers an introduction to programming using structured techniques that cover the C language. The course includes discussions of algorithms, data types, arithmetic, assignments, relation, and repetition. Functions, arrays, pointers, character strings, structures, and files are used. After successfully completing this course, you will understand how to write computer programs using ANSI C language.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

Perform arithmetic and character operations.

Include selection.

Include repetition.

Include functions.

Manipulate arrays using pointers.

Handle a variety of structures.

Manipulate files.

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COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The textbook is available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

A First Book of ANSI C, 4th ed., by Gary J. Bronson (Boston: Thomson Course Technology, 2007).

Hardware/Software Requirements

Regular access to a computer with C compiler software--either on a Windows or MS-DOS computer or on a Macintosh with PC emulation or with SoftPC installed. See "Minimum System Requirements" below for more information about the compiler.

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MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

To participate fully in course activities, you need to have daily access to a personal computer and command of certain basic computer skills, including the ability to send and receive e-mail with attachments.

In addition, your computer system must meet the following minimum specifications:

Windows 98 or higher or equivalent operating system.

Personal Internet access.

A full-featured Internet browser like Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or Firefox 1.X or higher.

You must also have regular access to a computer with C compiler software--either on a Windows or MS-DOS computer or on a Macintosh with PC emulation or with SoftPC installed. A C compiler is not supplied by the College and must be acquired by the student prior to or at the start of the course. It is not possible to proceed through the course without a C compiler. The compiler should be a full implementation of the ANSI standard for C. An ANSI C++ compiler may be used because C is a supported subset in a C++ compiler. Complete documentation is required to handle compiler variants and operational problems.

If you still have questions about the compiler you are planning to use, please check with your mentor. Regardless of the compiler you use, you must take responsibility for compiler support.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

C Programming is a three-credit online course consisting of nine study assignments, five graded class discussions, six written assignments, and two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination. Study assignments involve reading textbook chapters.

There are six (6) assignment modules, each of which comprises one or two units. Each unit, in turn, includes a study assignment and a discussion activity and/or a written assignment.

For the course's six assignment modules, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. See also the course Calendar.

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

In addition to posting an ungraded introduction to the class, you are required to participate in five (5) graded online class discussions, each focusing on an issue related to C programming. Participation in these five class discussions counts 10 percent toward your final grade in the course.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

You are required to submit six (6) written assignments to your mentor for grading. They are built around associated textbook chapters. Each assignment has an A and a B section. You should select one problem from the A section and one problem from the B section for each assignment. Each assignment will therefore consist of two problems that you should submit to your mentor. Be sure to identify clearly which items you have decided to answer. Include your name and assignment number at the top of every program in comments, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the assignment questions before you begin each lesson. Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the course materials. You need to show that you have a fundamental grasp of the material by sending in the most complete answers possible.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor for the format in which Written Assignments are to be delivered. Many mentors want .c source code files submitted directly from your compiler.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your assignment file.

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EXAMINATIONS

C Programming requires you to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of these exams.

Each examination is two hours long and requires you to write a different C program for each question. Both exams are open book and open notes.

Midterm Examination
The midterm examination covers the material assigned through Module 3 in the course. The examination is two hours long and requires you to write a different C program for each question. Note that the exam is open book and open notes.

You may take the midterm examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your midterm exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

Final Examination
The final exam is an unproctored, online exam. It covers the material assigned in Modules 4 through 6. The final exam is two hours long and requires you to write a different C program for each question. Note that the exam is open book and open notes.

The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course Web site (see Test & Quizzes > Final Examination) at the start of the final exam week. You may take the final exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam.

Note about taking your final exam in Blackboard: You must take this online exam using Internet Explorer. If you need to load it, please do so. Failure to use Internet Explorer may cause you difficulty in responding to questions in the final exam and will cause difficulty in sending your exam for grading.

You must also be sure that the WYSIWYG text box editor is turned on before you take your online final examination. To see whether it is turned on, do the following: On the myEdison page, click Personal Information>Set Text Box Editor Options. If Available is not selected, select it. After you have chosen Available, click Submit and Okay. After you have made this selection, you must log out of Blackboard and log in again. (You can also access this information in your COS-116 course space by clicking Student Tools>Personal Information>Set Text Box Editor Options and so on.)

With the WYSIWYG turned on, you will be able to write programs in the answer field of each exam question using the correct font and indentation. Choose Courier New font. You must choose this font before you answer each question.

Lines of code wrap on entry; this is okay. You are asked to show proper indentation. The easiest way to show proper indentation is to type all lines of the program flush left and then highlight each line that you want to indent. With the line highlighted, click the Indent Right icon in the far right hand of the toolbar once for each level of indent that you want.

Review this sample answer field to locate the toolbar icons that you will want to use when writing your exam programs: Answer field.

Sample Examination
You will find a sample online examination in the Tests & Quizzes area of this course site. Use this sample exam to familiarize yourself with the online testing setting and format before you take your online exam. Keep in mind the following potential differences between the sample exam and your online exam:

The content of your exam will match the content of your course; the sample exam has some generic questions on art history, world history, and environmental science.

Your exam is likely to include only one type or at most several types of questions (such as multiple choice or essays). The sample exam includes all the types that you might encounter in an online assessment at Thomas Edison State College.

You will be able to enter and take your final exam just once—once you have entered the exam you must complete it. The sample exam may be taken as often as you like.

There will be a penalty for exceeding the time limit in your actual exams (see the "Statement about Cheating" below), whereas there is no corresponding penalty with this sample exam.

Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or sources other than your notes, or using the Internet to find the answer.

Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.

Plagiarizing answers.

Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.

Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.

Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Written Assignments (6)	40 percent
Class Discussions (5)	10 percent
Midterm Examination	30 percent
Final Examination	20 percent

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and the course examinations are based on the following numerical grades:

A	=	93–100	C+	=	78–79
A–	=	90–92	C	=	73–77
B+	=	88–89	C–	=	70–72
B	=	83–87	D	=	60–69
B–	=	80–82	F	=	Below 60

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your midterm examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)

Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examinations. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

Staying on schedule is very important in a course like this one. Be sure to do all the assigned reading before you begin your written assignments.

Before starting the course, you should become familiar with the layout of the required text, paying particular attention to the brief chapter summaries and to the exercises that are presented at the end of almost every section in the textbook. It is suggested that you work out the exercise short-answer questions to help you study the course material. The answers for all short-answer questions are provided in Appendix G. It is suggested that you answer the questions before looking at the answers in the book. This will help you assess which concepts need further study.

Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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Syllabus Index

This document contains the following main sections:

Course Description

Course Objectives

Course Materials

Minimum System Requirements

Course Structure

Online Participation
Written Assignments

Examinations

Grading and Evaluation

Strategies for Success