I210

Information infrastructure I (Visual Basic)
Syllabus

Office hours:

Monday 2:00-3:30pm. I am in office room 206F, Hunt Hall. You can also make an appointment to meet with me. Please email me or call me for an appointment. Students are always welcome to knock on my door when I am not busy.

  • Course section: 7794, 7797
  • Class room: SM 224 (Hunt Hall)
  • Office hour room: SM 206F (Hunt Hall)

Course Overview

This course will provide an introduction to the process and methods used when developing software applications. At the completion of this course, students should be able to demonstrate good understanding of:

  • The software development process.
  • Fundamental software coding structures.
  • How to design, implement, debug, and test a software application.
  • How to use creative thinking skills as applied to the creation of solutions and resolution of errors.
  • How to develop software applications in Visual Basic.
  • How to integrate an SQL database into a Visual Basic application.

Student responsibilities in the course will include checking updates of schedule, reading textbook, presenting and conducting projects, and completing regular homework assignments and exams.

The official textbook for this course is Starting out with Visual Basic 2008, 4th Edition. Gaddis and Irvine. It is available from the bookstore as well as amazon.com.

Items Required

The following items will be required for this course.

Textbook

Starting out with Visual Basic 2008, 4th Edition. Gaddis and Irvine

IU Kokomo Computer Account

Every student must have an IU Kokomo computer account ID and password for centralized authentication. You should have received and activated your account during your orientation session or the first time you registered for classes at IU Kokomo. If you did not attend orientation or did not receive an IU Kokomo ID you must apply immediately at the Help Desk in the Library. You cannot do the required work in this class without this ID. Your Domain ID and password will also be your Oncourse ID and password. You cannot do ANY work in this class without a working ID and password.

USB Flash Drive

I strongly encourage you to purchase a USB Flash Drive, if you do not already have one. These are small key chain sized devices you can use to store data files for use in class. It is possible to store files in your Oncourse account, but using a USB Flash Drive will be much easier. This is something that you will be able to use for all your courses so it is a wise investment. You should keep copies of all of your course work at least until your final grade is posted.

Grading

Your grade in this class will be based on the following:

(Note that these percentages are only approximate and are subject to change, but by no more than 10%.)

Discussion Participation10%
Homework Assignments
(Programing)
30%
Projects
(Group Projects)
30%
Exams
(one or more tests)
30%

The grading scale is as follows (+ and - modifiers will be applied as appropriate):

97-100A+
93-96A
90-92A-
87-89B+
83-86B
80-82B-
77-79C+
73-76C
70-72C-
67-69D+
63-66D
60-62D-
0-59F

Course Policies and Responsibilities

The time to ask questions is during class. Please participate actively. You are responsible for knowing and following University regulations. This includes such areas as withdrawals, incompletes, pass/fail options, and ethics. Start early in case the unforeseen happens near grading dates (disk failure, working overtime, or whatever). Make backup copies as needed.

Exams will cover the material in the text (mostly) and lectures (some questions not in the readings). Graded items missed for a valid reason are handled by taking a makeup. Makeup exams will use your individual score to calculate both individual and team components of the exam value (9% & 6% respectively). Quizzes taken late will have extra requirements to adjust for the student having had additional preparation time.

Learning computing skills is supported by in-class small group activities, but you will likely need to devote additional time towards building proficiencies prior to being graded on individual skills. This is your homework assignment, after readings are done.

Prerequisites

NONE

Academic Integrity

Please refer to the statement on academic integrity given below. Any evidence of cheating will result in a 0 grade for the assignment/exam, and the incident will be submitted to the department for further review.

Attendance

I expect you to attend class and to arrive on time. Your grade may be affected if you are consistently tardy. If you have to miss a class, you are responsible checking the course website to find any assignments or notes you may have missed. Students may leave after 15 minutes if the instructor or a guest lecturer does not arrive in that time.

Late Assignments

Any assignment submitted after its deadline is considered late. Assignments that are submitted within 24 hours after the original deadline are considered to be "one day late," within 48 hours "two days late," etc. Weekends count just like weekdays in determining the number of days late.

Five percent (5%) of the assignment's total value will be deducted for each day an assignment is late. Assignments will not be accepted after they are more than 3 days late. I reserve the right to specify that late submissions will not be accepted for any assignment.

Email

Students should activate their IU Kokomo e-mail accounts and check them every day. If a student chooses to have his/her messages forwarded to another account, it is the student's responsibility to take the necessary steps to have them forwarded.

Classroom Conduct

Please be respectful of your classmates and instructor by minimizing distractions during class. Cell phones must be turned off during class. Disruptive classroom behavior will not be tolerated. This includes unnecessary chatting, text messaging, the use of a cell phone during lecture/exams, etc. Be respectful of the learning environment.

Make-up Work

Make-ups for graded activities are possible only with a valid written medical or university excuse. It is the student's responsibility to give the instructor the written excuse and to arrange for any makeup work to be done. A makeup exam may be different (and possibly more difficult) than the regularly scheduled exam.

Cell phones, electronic devices, and calculators.

Please turn off or silence your cell phone during class. The use of cell phones, ipods, MP3 players, or any other electronic devices will be strictly forbidden during the exams and during lectures. Only non-programmable calculators will be authorized during exams.

Disability Services

In compliance with PL94-142 and more recent federal legislation affirming the rights of disabled individuals, provisions will be made for students with special needs on an individual basis. The student must have been identified, as "special needs" by the university and an appropriate letter(s) must be provided to the course instructor. Provision will be made based upon written guidelines from the university "special needs students" resource office. All students are expected to fulfill all course requirements.

Seeking Help

The course website should be your first reference for questions about the class. The schedule will be updated throughout the semester with links to assigned readings. Announcements and frequently asked questions (FAQ) will also be posted to the course website.

The best way to get help is to come to office hours. If you cannot make office hours, please send an email to setup an appointment. I am available via email, but do not expect or rely on an immediate response.

Some keys to success.

  • Stay up-to-date. Review your notes on a regular basis. Read the textbook.
  • Use the website to download the lecture notes and the sample questions. Use the lecture notes for reviews.
  • Make your own tables/review charts/flash cards.
  • Do not wait until the night before to prepare for an exam.
  • Attend all lectures. Ask questions when you do not understand a concept.
  • Form study groups.
  • Meet with the instructional assistant on a regular basis.
  • Informatics, like any science, has its own terms and “language”. Early in the semester, you need to learn that language, so that you can follow the lectures and understand the concepts.
  • You need to understand the material. Just passively reading or re-writing your notes is NOT studying. Some exam questions will test your ability to think critically.