Required Texts
There is no required textbook for this course. All materials will be provided through Blackboard.Required Software
The course uses Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access. If your class meets in a lab, you must use a lab computer during class and in-class exams. If your section meets in a classroom, you must use a computer that runs the appropriate software for exams and homework. Support is provided to install Windows on your Apple computer so that you can run Microsoft Excel and Access. Students must use the Horizon Virtual Machine application that can be installed on a personal laptop. Instructions and links to the installer are located under the “Resources” section on this site. The University provides plenty of computers that run Microsoft Excel and Access. You can check out laptops from the library, and use library computers for assignments.Course Prerequisites
None.Course Description
From the course catalog:
Introduces students to the field of computer science and the patterns of thinking that enable them to become intelligent users of software tools in a problem-solving setting. Examines several important software applications so that students may develop the skills necessary to use computers effectively in their own disciplines.
Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will know how to:- envision problem solutions that involve the analysis of data
- gain exposure to fundamental techniques of computer science
- design relational databases and formulate queries in Access
- calculate elementary statistics and present data analysis in Excel
- build charts and graphs in Excel
- analyze data through Pivot Tables
- construct reports in Access
- integrate Access and Excel
- build forms in Access
Learning Assessment
Achievement of learning outcomes will be assessed and graded through:- Excel take-home exam (5%)
- Access take-home exam (5%)
- Comprehensive in-class Excel exam (30%)
- Comprehensive in-class Access exam (30%)
- Syllabus Quiz - Topic 1 Quiz (0%)
- Lab Assignments (14%) -- No late submission accepted / Lowest grade dropped
- Project (7%) -- All students are required to complete the project
- Topic Quizzes (5%) -- all topic quizzes are equally weighted
- Class Attendance (4%) -- weekly attendance is mandatory
- Optional make-up exams -- makeup exam grades replace in-class exam grades
All lab assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams must be submitted through Blackboard. No submissions will be accepted via email.
The topic quizzes must be completed after watching the lecture and reviewing the readings. For many topics, a minimum score is required to view and submit the topic's assignment. Topic quizzes can be taken an unlimited number of times and the maximum score for each quiz will be used in your final grade calculation. The topic quizzes are meant to gauge a student's understanding of the material.
There will be separate take-home and in-class exams on Excel and Access (four exams in all). If a student receives a higher grade on the in-class exam than the take-home, the take-home exam grade will be raised to match the in-class exam grade. If the take-home exam score is better than the in-class exam score, the take-home exam grade will not change. A higher take-home exam score never replaces the in-class exam grade.
There are two optional make-up exams, one for Excel and one for Access. They are administered in-class during the last week of the semester and the dates of these makeup exams will be announced mid-semester. A student can take one or both of the make-up exams. The make-up exam grade replaces the corresponding in-class exam grade even if it is lower. If a student misses an in-class exam, the make-up exam’s grade will be used instead. For example, if a student misses the Excel in-class exam, she can then take the Excel make-up exam, which will replace her 0 for the in-class Excel exam. You may take one or both make-up exams.
The gradebook on Blackboard will always reflect the actual grade you earned on an assessment but the replaced grade will be used in the grade calculation.
Schedule
Blackboard lists the schedule for each week and the topics each class will cover. Topics become visible only after the most recent assignment’s due date. See the Class Calendar link in Blackboard or your Blackboard home page. Note that the assignment may not be visible until you submit the topic quiz at least once.
Course Methodology
To maximize learning and allow for ample lab time and hands-on practical work, the course is delivered in a "hybrid format" where students are expected to watch the lectures prior to class. During class, instructors will focus on applying what was learned to solve problems. Instructors also reinforce and go deeper on the more difficult parts of the topic and individually work with students to answer questions about the lab.Each week, students are expected to:
- Review the week’s learning objectives
- Review the slide decks and lecture notes
- View the video lectures before class
- Complete all lessons for the week
- Complete the topic quiz before class
- Participate in discussions on the discussion board (Piazza)
- Complete and submit all assignments and assessments by the due date
CS1100 Clinic
Some students may require more one-on-one instruction than what can be provided in class. The CS1100 clinic provides students the opportunity for additional one-on-one instruction. The Clinic locations and schedule is posted in Blackboard under Instructor & TA Info.Participation/Discussion Board
In addition to clinic hours, there is also an online discussion board using piazza. Students should:- If you have a question, please review other students’ posts first. If no one has asked your question, please post your question. However, you should try to extend existing, similar discussions before starting new threads as a general practice.
- Respond or comment on other students’ posts
- Check the Piazza before seeking help from the instructor or teaching assistants
Attendance
Attending class is required and attendance is taken. Usually this should be your regularly scheduled class. If you make up an absence by attending another class, you must let the instructor or TA know so they can update your attendance in your instructor's section. Attendance counts for 4% of the final grade.Communication
Communication between instructors and students is through:- In class announcements
- E-mail via the Blackboard distribution list; be sure that those do not end up in your spam folder
- Announcements posted on Blackboard
- Questions, answers, and notes posted on the discussion forum
- Private email exchanges, although such exchanges should be reserved for private communication and not questions about course content, materials, assignments, or exams
- Questions, answers, and notes posted on piazza
- Clinic hours
- Office hours
Submitting Work
All work for the course is expected to be completed by the due date and time and must be submitted in the Assignments folder. No email submissions are accepted. Due dates and times are posted on the class calendar on Blackboard. Assignments are associated with course topics, so you will have a separate assignment for each course topic covered during a specific week. Make sure you submit ALL assignments due for that week.
To submit an assignment, follow these steps
- Go to the Assignments folder for the current topic and click on the Assignment link to view an assignment.
- Attach the submission files or documents along with explanatory comments
- Click Submit to turn them in.
Once an assignment has been graded, students will be able to view the grade and feedback by clicking on My Grades.
A student may submit an assignment multiple times before the due date. All assignments are due by 11:59 PM. Please, do NOT wait until the last minute to submit your assignment. The Blackboard server might slow down if a barrage of students try to submit at the same time. You might run the risk of missing the deadline! (See the late work policy) Also, remember email submissions are not accepted and do not count as a placeholder for a late blackboard submission.
Late Work Policy
No late submissions are accepted!! The link to submit an assignment will disappear once its deadline passes. If you miss an assignment, you are still encouraged to complete them to practice the material covered and to study for the tests.Collaboration
Students may discuss assignments with other students in the class, although all of the work submitted for grading must be the student’s own, and may not be copied in whole or in part from anyone.Conflicts with University-Sponsored Activities
From the Undergraduate Catalog: "Participation in University-sponsored activities, where the students are representing their University ... may cause absences from class that qualify as excused absences [ which] are not subject to penalty, and missed work may be satisfied through agreement between the students and the instructor." Work is assigned well in advance for students to complete the work on time. Take-Home exams can be made up with in-class exams and in-class exams can be made up with the make-up exams. All lecture content is available online for review. Teaching assistants hold help sessions weekly for additional questions.Accommodations For Students With Disabilities
If a student has a disability-related need for reasonable academic accommodations in this course and has not yet met with a Disability Specialist, then visit www.northeastern.edu/drc and follow the outlined procedure to request services.
If the Disability Resource Center has formally approved an academic accommodation in this class, the student must present the instructor with a “Professor Notification Letter” during the first week of the semester, so that the instructor can address specific needs as early as possible.
Any requests for taking an exam at the Disability Resource Center must be received by the instructor in writing at least seven (7) days prior.
Academic Integrity Policy
The University views academic dishonesty as one of the most serious offenses that a student can commit while in college and imposes appropriate punitive sanctions on violators.
Students are expected to read and understand the Northeastern University Academic Honesty Policy found here. In general, unauthorized collaboration is any collaboration that has not been specifically authorized. However, in this course we specifically list any form of file sharing as unauthorized.
Any form of cheating or sharing of files or assignments (whether receiver or provider) will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment, a report to OSCCR, and a full two letter reduction in the final grade. These penalties apply for each instance of cheating or file sharing.
Title IX
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources here: http://www.northeastern.edu/oidi/titleix/.
Grading Scale
Final semester letter grades will be awarded according to the scale below, where X is the final numerical grade:
X >= 94 A
91 <= X < 94 A-
87 <= X < 91 B+
83 <= X < 87 B
80 <= X < 83 B-
77 <= X < 80 C+
73 <= X < 77 C
70 <= X < 73 C-
67 <= X < 70 D+
63 <= X < 67 D
60 <= X < 63 D-
X < 60 F
Rules for Exams
What is permitted:
- You may have exactly ONE browser tab open and that MUST point to the Blackboard page where you obtain the test data and where you submit your solution.
- You may have the program open (Excel, Access, Blackboard) that you must use to construct your test solution.
- You may use the built-in Excel and Access help.
- You may bring one double-sided sheet of paper containing notes. Exception: For the take home exam you may use your notes and the slides from Blackboard.
What is NOT permitted:
- You may NOT access online resources of any kind: previous homework, online tutorials, etc.
- You may NOT open any other internet resource such as e-mail.
- You may NOT e-mail your completed test to yourself or to anyone else.
- You may NOT open any program installed on the machine other than the browser to Blackboard and the program that you are using to construct your test solution.
- You may NOT use any digital device to bring information or data into or out of the lab.
- You may NOT use a cell phone or other communication device while in the lab.
- You may NOT talk to another student while in the lab. If you have a question about the test or a technical problem with your computer, speak to the instructor.
Testing Procedures
To create a fair testing environment for all students, the following test procedures are generally observed for in-class exams:- Students must show a photo ID with their full and correct name. Husky IDs, passports, and driver's licenses are acceptable forms of identification
- Students are assigned to workstations or seats at random by the instructor
- Students may be moved to different workstations or seats at the discretion of the instructor
- Students may receive different assessments, tests, or work instructions
- Students may be asked to use a lockdown browser or to log into a specific user account with reduced network access privileges
- Any type of cheating will result in a 0 for the assessment, a full two letter reduction in the final course grade, and a report to OSCCR for academic dishonesty.