ISBA 2033 Programming Fundamentals   
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An introduction to computer programming using the Python language. Students learn the concepts needed to write programs using event-driven, object-oriented methodologies. Prerequisite: Completion of aState's Neil Griffin College of Business (NGCoB) computer proficiency requirement.

This class will be taught through a combination of lecture, student discussion, and in-class demonstrations, with a considerable amount of hands-on lab exercises during class meetings.  Concepts and techniques addressed in class will be reinforced extensively through outside hands-on exercises.  Each class meeting you may be called upon to expound upon the material with which you are to have familiarized yourself prior to a given class period, as well as to contribute to the discussion at hand. Therefore, class participation is important, and your grade may reflect the quality of your contributions to the overall classroom experience.

Grading is done, ideally, for the primary purpose of providing you with feedback as to how well you are doing.  However, grading is often used more as a whip to make sure you don't goof off.  I hope that both you and I can view the grading system from the former perspective. If we can, I think all parties (you, employers, society, the university, and I) should benefit.  Remember that you are the consumer in this system and it is up to you to get the most for your money.  I will try to provide you with helpful guidance; please help me to do so.

Homework will likely be assigned for every class meeting and will consist primarily of readings plus hands-on exercises which you will need to do using a computer.  These exercises will generally be applications programs you are to create.  The work may or may not be graded, although you will still be expected to have completed all assignments by the beginning of each class meeting; late homework is strongly discouraged.  Over the course of the semester, you are also to assemble an orderly homework and class exercise portfolio. I may need to see this at any time during the term, and your portfolio should include:

• The graded (and scanned) hardcopy for all exercises that have been returned to you
• Hardcopy (scanned) required for any other exercises
• Notes that you should be taking during class
• Any other work you have done for this class during the semester

Note that, if any exercise is not graded, you will obviously not receive direct feedback, so it will be your responsibility to check your work with me, with that of other students, and/or against posted solutions.  Outside exercises for the class should typically take, depending upon your experience, previous coursework, and computer background, an average of between six and nine hours per week.  This work should also be fairly evenly distributed across each week.  The vast majority of that time will involve working with a computer.  If you spend less time than this (or if you try to work on course material less frequently), you can expect to see detrimental results with respect to your grades.  Worse than that, you will be wasting what time you do spend, as you will not be able to develop a working understanding of the material for future application.  Note again, that the time spent outside of class should not be spent in one or two large blocks but should instead be spread out across each week.

Quizzes will be given fairly regularly over material that has been recently assigned.  Generally a quiz will be short and will involve your writing a small amount of code to accomplish a task recently assigned and/or discussed in class.  However, quizzes may also involve short-answer and multiple choice components.  The purpose of the quizzes is (a) to help me see regularly how well you are grasping the concepts being covered in class and (b) to force you to keep up with the material.  In order to be prepared for taking the quizzes, bring to class a #2 pencil (or a mechanical pencil with HB lead) and an eraser every day we meet.

Exams are tentatively scheduled to take place on: Thursday, September 19; Tuesday, October 29; and Tuesday, December 10 (the final exam, 12:30-2:30). Exams will typically involve multiple choice, essay, and fill-in-the-blanks questions, although you might be expected to write limited amounts of code as well.  You will generally not be allowed to use reference materials (e.g., textbook, notes, homework) when taking the exams.  Except for the final exam, which will be a comprehensive test, the majority of exam questions/exercises will address the most recently covered material, although a portion of each exam will, by nature, be comprehensive.  Your time will be limited on each exam, which means you will likely have insufficient time to complete an exam unless you are thoroughly familiar with the material. This should be no problem if you have completed all homework exercises and reviewed that work.  In order to be prepared for taking the exams, bring to class a #2 pencil (or a mechanical pencil with HB lead) and an eraser on exam days.

Class Participation is not a formal part of the grading scheme for this class.  Nevertheless, your participation can be very important and may be used in determining where final grade cutoffs will be made, as well as for assisting in borderline decisions.  In addition, extra credit may be awarded for outstanding contributions.  More importantly, what you put into the class in preparing to participate in class will very likely affect how well you are able to grasp and to apply the material on exams, in the short run, and with your own personal productivity in the long run. The value of your participation will be reflected by:  your responses to questions posed in class; questions you ask and comments about course concepts; and remarks you make concerning experiences you have had with or have read/heard about concepts and techniques addressed by the course and/or the applications value of such items.  Both the quality and quantity of your contributions to class discussions are important.  You are the primary consumer in this system, and high levels of quality and continuous improvement require a partnership between a supplier and a consumer.  In other words, consumer (i.e., your) involvement leads to high service quality.  As a result, you will enhance the quality of your learning experience by being an active partner, not just a passive recipient.  This is done, to a great extent, by your preparing for and getting involved in class discussions.

Office Hours will be held so that you may simply drop in if you wish to discuss anything related to the course, your curriculum, your career, etc.   I encourage you to take advantage of this time.  If you have questions regarding homework assignments (other than about what is expected), I will expect you to demonstrate you have already put a reasonable effort into attempting the exercises.  In this manner, we'll both benefit the most from the consultations.  Please do not use the course office hours to try to make up for a missed class.  If you have a valid excuse for missing a class, I will try to give you some direction in dealing with anything you might have missed; otherwise, please ask one of your classmates about what you have missed.  If you do not wish to come by the office, or if you are unable to do so, three 24-hour a day options are provided to you as alternatives:

eMail jseydel@astate.edu: This is the preferred manner of communication.

Use the Inbox facility provided by Canvas.

Phone (870) 680-8072 (least preferred):  If email is not, for one reason or another, appropriate or sufficiently quick, call me.  If I'm not in, you can leave a message, and I'll get back to you.

"Do Not Disturb" Hours are posted, not because I don't like trying to help students but instead to help me in making final preparations for my class meetings.  Hence, I will appreciate your trying to avoid seeking help, etc., during these posted hours of nonavailability.

eMail Accounts and use of the Worldwide Web are essential for you to succeed in this course and, more importantly, as a member of a modern organization.   I will be communicating with you extensively via the class website and through email.  These communications are likely to include daily assignments, examples, and other supplementary course materials.  You will be required daily to check and to respond to your email.   In addition, and you are to be familiar with all of the course materials that will be made available through the class websites.

Questions about the exercises, their relevance to the business world, useful variations, etc. are strongly encouraged.  If you do not ask questions, I will assume that you are having no trouble with the course and are adequately prepared to complete the assigned exercises and to take the exams and/or quizzes. Therefore, please ask for help as you need it.

Academic Misconduct, including plagiarism and cheating on exams or homework, will be dealt with under official university procedures. It is your responsibility to be familiar with these procedures, as outlined in the aState Student Handbook.  To be certain you have no misunderstanding, you should adhere to the following guidelines.

• While you are encouraged to work together, this nevertheless means to work independently and to compare answers, procedures, etc. only occasionally, not item by item.  Ultimately, each person involved in this sort of cooperation should grasp the material on her/his own.
• Each person's work should clearly be distinct from that of other students.  Although typically there will be a single correct answer for any assigned exercise, the means of getting to that answer, as well as the manner in which that answer is displayed, should generally be unique to the student.
• Whenever you submit work that's not your own, that's cheating.  Although exercise solutions may be available online, in solutions manuals, from friends, etc., what you submit for grading is to be what you yourself have done.

Attendance is required.  If, however, you must miss class as a result of a documentable illness or other reasonable cause, arrangements will be made to accommodate the absence.  If at all possible, you are expected to notify me via email prior to the absence.  No makeup exams or quizzes will be given, so make whatever plans are necessary (at work or wherever else) to be in class to take the exams and quizzes.

Class Will Begin Promptly at The Scheduled Time.  This means that you are expected to be in your seat on time and ready to participate during the entire time designated for the class.  Preparation for class (either this or any other class) should be done outside that time.  In addition, once you are in class, you will not be permitted to leave for the day unless prior arrangements have been made with me.

If You Are a Student with a Disability, you are encouraged to work with the Access & Accommodation Services Office to determine any necessary arrangements.   Such arrangements include, but are not limited to special seating, test-taking accommodations, and note-taking assistance.  The Disabilities Services Office office can assist you in documenting your needs and will provide you with a letter that you can bring to me, and we can discuss how to arrange for your full participation in this class.