Mathematics 150, Fall 2001

Instructor

Larry Riddle
Buttrick 327
Telephone: x6222
Email: LRiddle@AgnesScott.edu

Required materials

An Introduction to Programming Using Visual Basic 6.0, Fourth Edition, by David Schneider

ASC network id and password

Office Hours

I do not have regularly scheduled office hours. Rather, you are encouraged to stop by my office at any time when you have questions or problems and if I am not too busy I will be happy to work with you. You may also stop by to make an appointment for a time that is mutually convenient. Another good way to contact me is through email, particularly during the evenings or weekends. I promise to respond to your email as quickly as I can.

Laboratory Problems and Assignments

The only way to learning a programming language is to write programs in that language. Therefore most of the work in this course will involve writing computer programs. Class time will often be spent with each of you writing or modifying small programs, either individually or in small groups, that illustrate the important concepts in the current chapter, and discussing those programs and concepts. This means that it is absolutely essential that you have read the assigned material in the chapter before you come to class.

Several longer programming assignments will be given to be worked on outside of class. You will also be required to complete a programming project as part of your final exam. I will supply several suggestions for projects or you may pick one yourself. Please consult with me about the appropriateness of your project. The project program will be due by the end of the final exam period.

There will be a short open-book final exam. This exam will cover basic principles such as found in the Practice Problems and Exercises in the text. I encourage you to work through those questions as you read the text.

Attendance

It is expected that you will attend and be prepared for every class. Much of what you learn in this class will come from the laboratory work done during class time. You will work on short programming problems every class period. It is recognized, however, that circumstances may occasionally require that you miss a class. However, you are still responsible for all problems and material discussed in class whether you are there or not. If you miss a class, you will need to complete the laboratory problems for that day before the next class because otherwise you will be unprepared for that day's lab. I speak from experience that students who miss too many classes do not do well in this course. Read that last sentence again.

Grading

Class attendance, Labs, Reading 10%
Programming Assignments 50%
Project 25%
Final 15%

Reading and Programming Assignments*

Read Chapters 1 and 2 for background information

MONDAY
3:00 - 4:15

WEDNESDAY
3:00-4:15

   

Aug. 29

Introduction, Lab 1
Sections 3.1 and 3.2

Sept. 3

Labor Day (no classes)

Sept. 5

Section 3.2, Lab 2

Sept. 10

Sections 3.3 and 3.4, Lab 3

Sept. 12

Section 3.5, Lab 4a

Sept. 17

Section 3.5, Lab 4b

Sept. 19

Section 3.6, Lab 5
Assignment 1 Due

Sept. 24

Section 4.1, Lab 6a

Sept. 26

Section 4.2 and 4.3
Lab 6b

Oct. 1

Sections 5.1 and 5.2, Lab 7

Oct. 3

Sections 5.1 and 5.2
Lab 7 continued

Oct. 8

Section 5.3, Lab 8

Oct. 10

Work on assignment 2

Oct. 15

Sections 6.1, Lab 9a
Assignment 2 Due

Oct. 17

Sections 6.1 and 6.2
Lab 9b

Oct. 22

Section 6.3
Lab 9c

Oct. 24

Section 6.3
Lab 9c continued

Oct. 29

Section 7.1
Lab 10

Oct. 31

Sections 7.1 and 7.2, Lab 11
Assignment 3 Due

Nov. 5

Section 7.3, Lab 12a

Nov. 7

Section 7.3
Lab 12b

Nov. 12

Work on assignment 4

Nov. 16

Section 7.5, Lab 13

Nov. 19

Section 7.5, Lab 13 continued
Assignment 4 Due

Nov. 21

Thanksgiving Break!

Nov. 26

Work on Assignment 5

Nov. 28

Work on Assignment 5

Dec. 3

Work on project
Assignment 5 Due

Dec. 5

Work on project

Dec. 10

Work on project

 

Project Due by end of exam period, Tuesday, Dec. 18

*Subject to change. Labs and Assignments found at W:\Students\Math\Math150

Supplemental Reading

We will not cover the following topics in this course but you may find them of interest if you wish to explore additional programming tools.


Last modified August 23, 2001