COSC121-12S2 (C) Semester Two 2012

Introduction to Computer Programming

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 9 July 2012
End Date: Sunday, 11 November 2012
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 22 July 2012
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 7 October 2012

Description

Computer programming in a high-level language with special emphasis on style and structure. This course is normally required as preparation for Cosc122 and as a prerequisite for all 200 level CSSE courses.

Students will learn the fundamentals of computer programming using the Python language.
Programming is the nuts and bolts of computer science; it is an essential tool but only a small part of the overall subject. Programming involves using a special language to issue a series of instructions to the computer in order to have it solve a particular problem. The course will follow the textbook fairly closely.

COSC121 is a prerequisite for all 200 level COSC courses and is normally required as preparation for COSC122.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will:
  • Have practical experience writing, testing, and debugging basic Python programs,
  • Be able to write Python programs using strings, modules, objects, methods, functions, lists, conditionals, iteration, file processing, sets and dictionaries,
  • Be able to implement simple Graphical User interfaces in Python,
  • Be able to do simple object-oriented programming in Python.

Restrictions

COSC123

Timetable Note

Laboratory Information
Laboratories will be held at locations and times that will be announced week by week on Learn and in email messages.

Course Coordinator

Tim Bell

Lecturers

Andrew Cockburn and Walter Guttmann

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Programming Assignment 20%
Final Exam 55%
Lab Quizzes 10%
Mid-course quiz/test 06 Sep 2012 15% From 5pm onwards.


Mid Semester Test will be held 6 September 2012, from 5pm onwards.

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Campbell, Jennifer; Practical programming : an introduction to computer science using Python ; Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2009 (Campbell, Gries Montojo and Wilson).

This can be bought from the bookshop, or an on-line PDF version is available for $US22 from http://pragprog.com/titles/gwpy

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $692.00

International fee $3,200.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Computer Science and Software Engineering .

All COSC121 Occurrences

  • COSC121-12S1 (D) Semester One 2012 (Distance) - Not Offered
  • COSC121-12S1 (C) Semester One 2012
  • COSC121-12S2 (D) Semester Two 2012 (Distance) - Not Offered
  • COSC121-12S2 (C) Semester Two 2012