Syllabus for COS-241-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Data Structures is a course in which you will discuss and experiment with many ways to manipulate data in the structures that exist in the programming language C++. Data structures are an important way of organizing information in a computer. Each data structure has unique properties that make it well suited to give a certain view of the data.

Please be aware that Data Structures is a challenging course. No basic C++ language is taught in this course, so you must know C++ programming language before you begin.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

Through studying Data Structures, you should be able to:

• Describe the activities in the software life cycle.
• Explain what is meant by abstract data types (ADTs) and data encapsulation.
• Describe the abstract data type List at a logical level.
• Explain the use of Big-O notation to describe the amount of work done by an algorithm.
• Describe stacks and queues and their operations at a logical level.
• Implement stack, queue, unsorted list and sorted list ADT as a linked list structure.
• Distinguish between shallow and deep copying.
• Discuss recursion as another form of repetition.
• Define a binary search tree at the logical level.
• Show how an arithmetic expression can be stored in a binary tree.
• Design and implement sorting algorithms.

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COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course. These materials are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

• C++ Plus Data Structures, 4th ed., by Nell Dale (Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett, 2007) .
  ISBN-13: 978-0-7637-4158-7

Hardware/Software Requirements

• Regular access to a computer with C++ compiler software.

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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.
• A C++ compiler.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Data Structures is a 3-credit online course. You are required to read the text as assigned, complete 6 written assignments, and take 2 examinations: a proctored midterm and an unproctored, online final. You are also required to take part in the online discussions.

For the course's assignments, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

You are required to participate in seven graded online discussions, each focusing on a different subject.

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 discussion question 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.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Data Structures has six (6) written assignments. Many students find it helpful to read over the assignment questions for a module before beginning the reading for the module.

Prepare written assignments that do not require code to be written using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Most assignments in this course require that you write code. Submit these files directly from the C++ compiler in .cpp and .h source code file format.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

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

This course requires you to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination during and an unproctored, online final examination.

Midterm Examination
The midterm is an open-notes, open-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and covers material in Modules 1 through 3. Please bring along your book and any notes you wish to have on the exam day.

You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your 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 is an open-notes, open-book, online exam. It is two hours long and covers material in Modules 4 through 6. You may use your book and any notes you wish to have while taking the exam.

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 site at the start of the last week of the semester. You may take the 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-241 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.

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 on the Internet, or using any other source 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:

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

Note: 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, 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:

1. 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.



2. 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 your midterm exam and arrange for a proctor, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. 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 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.)



4. 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.



5. 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:

1. 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 examination. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.



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

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