Professor Roger Kraft
Office: Classroom Office Building, Room 368
Phone: (219) 989-2255
Office hours: 3:30--5:00 TR, and by appointment.
E-mail: rlkraft@pnw.edu
Required Textbook: Big Java, Late Objects, 2nd Edition, by Cay Horstmann, zyBooks, 2017.
This textbook is part of the university's Instructional Materials Access program, so it should be available to you on Brightspace. If you choose to opt-out of the Instructional Materials Access program, then please see me about how you can purchase access to this textbook.
This course is an introduction to computer science and computer programming. The programming language used is Java and the topics covered include identifiers, basic data types, expressions, control statements, methods, arrays, objects, and classes.
The required textbook is an online, interactive textbook. This textbook has questions, problems, and programming exercises built into it that you will solve as you read the book.
This course will cover Chapters 1 through 8 from the textbook. Your grade for this course will be based on exercises in the textbook, weekly computer labs, programming assignments in the textbook, and three exams, in the following manner:
10% participation and challenge activities from the textbook,
10% weekly computer labs,
10% programming assignments from the textbook,
40% two midterm exams (20% per exam),
30% Final Exam.
Tentative dates for the three exams are
Exam 1 Wednesday, September 27 October 4
Exam 2 Wednesday, November 1 November 8
Final Final exam week.
The online textbook contains a lot of interactive homework problems. The textbook calls these "Participation Activities" and "Challenge Activities". They are embedded throughout the text of the book and you do them as you read along. These activities make up 10% of your course grade. The textbook's software keeps track of the activities that you have completed. The activities for each chapter must be completed before the exam that covers that chapter.
Each of the programming assignments will have a due date. To receive full credit for an assignment, it must be turned in by the due date. All programs handed in late will be marked off 10% of the total points for each calendar day late up to a maximum of 50%. If an assignment is more than two weeks late, then I reserve the right not to accept it for credit. The programming assignments are part of the textbook. You do the assignments in the textbook and you turn them in from within the textbook.
You should turn in your own work for each programming assignment. Here is what that means: You may talk with your classmates about the course material and the ideas behind each homework assignment but you should solve each problem on your own and write your own code for the solution. Turning in someone else's solution (or even a modified version of someone else's solution) is a breach of academic integrity. Similarly, giving a copy of your solution to someone else in the class is also a breach of academic integrity. If you need help with a homework assignment, come and ask me. You can ask me as many questions as you want! Please do not hesitate to ask me questions after class, in my office, in an e-mail message, over the phone, etc.
The final grades for this course will use a plus and minus grading system. The possible grades for this course, and a tentative grading scale for the grades, are given in the table below. The final grading scale that I use may not be quite the same as the one given below; the grade cutoffs might be lower, but they will not be higher than what is given in this table.
| A | 93 - 100 |
| A- | 90 - 92 |
| B+ | 88 - 89 |
| B | 83 - 87 |
| B- | 80 - 82 |
| C+ | 78 - 79 |
| C | 73 - 77 |
| C- | 70 - 72 |
| D+ | 68 - 69 |
| D | 63 - 67 |
| D- | 60 - 62 |
| F | 59 or less |
In this web site you will find more information about Java and this course. There are links to online help and documentation for Java and information about course reading assignments. Your homework assignments and their due dates will be posted in these web pages.
Course Objectives: The objectives for this course are as follows.
Academic Integrity Policy: Ethics are an integral part of being a student and a professional. Academic integrity is the hallmark of this University. Therefore, Purdue University Northwest does not tolerate academic dishonesty. If a student breaches integrity, the student risks sanctions in both the academic and conduct arenas. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the unauthorized use of other's intellectual property (plagiarism), and lying to an instructor or any University employee. Such actions WILL result in a failing grade on the assignment with the strong possibility of referral to the Office of the Dean of Students for a conduct sanction (see the Purdue University Northwest Student Handbook available from the Dean of Students office).
Students with Disabilities: Students who may need accommodations to address barriers caused by documented disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act need to register with the Disability Access Center (DAC) to receive accommodations. To request and receive accommodations, students schedule an appointment with the DAC to initiate review and approval of supporting documentation showing their disability, the barriers it causes, and the recommended accommodations. If documentation is approved, the DAC will email a letter to the student’s current semester faculty members outlining the accommodations needed to ensure accessibility. Accommodations will be provided from the date the letter originates from the DAC. It is important to register as soon as possible as accommodations are not retroactive. The DAC is located at the Hammond campus in the Student Union & Library Building (SUL) 341 and Westville in the Technology Building (TECH) 101. The DAC can be reached at (219) 989-2455 or emailing: dac@pnw.edu.
Course Engagement: Student engagement in coursework and class activities is essential for learning and student success. Additionally, to comply with federal mandates related to financial aid, the university is required to track attendance and engagement in course activities. Depending on the delivery format of your course, attendance and engagement in the course may be defined and tracked in different ways. Meaningful engagement in a course may include attending live class sessions (in person or remotely), engaging with learning materials, participating in learning activities, completing assessments, and interacting with classmates and/or the instructor. Logging into the course site in Brightspace alone does not constitute meaningful engagement in a course. You are expected to be actively engaged in the course activities as explained in the course syllabus.
Classroom Civility Policies: Students are expected to comply with University regulations regarding civility, attendance, and appropriate classroom behavior.
Emergency Preparedness: An information sheet, with instructions for various types of possible emergencies, is posted in each room on campus. These emergencies include criminal activity, severe weather, fire, medical emergencies, and noises sounding like gunshots. Students are strongly encouraged to review this instruction sheet carefully and acquaint themselves with these important guidelines. PNW will hold annual drills to prepare for emergencies such as severe weather, active shooter and fire. It is strongly encouraged that all students participate in these drills in an effort to strengthen our emergency preparedness efforts.
Student Mental Health and Wellbeing: Purdue University Northwest is committed to supporting and advancing the mental health and well-being of our PNW students. During the course of their academic careers, students often experience personal challenges that contribute to barriers in learning, such as drug/alcohol problems, strained relationships, chronic worrying, persistent sadness or loss of interest in enjoyable activities, family conflict, grief and loss, domestic violence, difficulty concentrating, problems with organization, procrastination and/or lack of motivation. Students also sometimes come to college with a history of learning difficulties (e.g., any form of special education), experience difficulties succeeding in a particular subject (e.g., math, reading), or have experienced some form of trauma be it emotional or physical (e.g., head injury).
These mental health concerns can lead to diminished academic performance and can interfere with daily life activities. If you or someone you know has a history of mental health concerns or if you are unsure and would like a consultation, a variety of confidential services are available. The Counseling Center is located in The Riley Center, 2250 173rd Street, Hammond campus and TECH 101 in Westville. You can also reach us at (219) 989-2366 or at https://pnw.edu/counseling/. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is (800) 273-TALK or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Non-Discrimination: Purdue University Northwest prohibits discrimination against any member of the University community on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or status as a veteran. Any student who believes they have witnessed or experienced discrimination are encouraged to report the incident to the Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in Lawshe 231, Hammond or call (219) 989-2337 or in Schwarz 25, Westville or call (219) 785-5545. Additional information can be found on the Diversity web site.