CSE 160 Course Information (Spring 2017)

Course Description and Objectives

Description

The CSE 160, 260 sequence covers topics coextensive with those covered in the CSE 114, 214, and 219, but at an accelerated pace, and with somewhat different ordering and emphasis. Both CSE 160 and 260 use the Java programming language and include a required laboratory (CSE 161 and CSE 261) as an integral part of the course.

CSE 160 omits making a detailed review of the basic concepts, constructs, and mechanics of computer programming that students will have covered in a prerequisite course. Instead, emphasis in CSE 160 is on a higher-level, object-oriented approach to the construction of software. Close attention is paid to software engineering issues such as programming style, modularity, and code reusability. The way in which software tools can be used to aid the program development process is also emphasized. The course initially considers the construction of small programs, continues by treating the design and implementation of program modules, and culminates in an introduction to object-oriented design techniques suitable for larger programs.

Specific topics covered in CSE 160 include: objects and classes, programming style, object interaction, mutability and immutability, collections of objects, iterators, debugging and testing, information hiding and modularity, cohesion and coupling, code refactoring, programming by contract, inheritance and polymorphism, exceptions and handlers, and object-oriented design.

Official Course Goals

The following are the official course goals agreed upon by the faculty for this course.

Staff

Professor
Eugene W. Stark

Teaching Assistant:
Hamid Asaadi

Prerequisite

This course is given for students in the CSE Honors program. Some initial familiarity with basic mechanics of computer programming, such as that provided by AP Computer Science, will be presumed.

Class Time/Place

Lecture:Tuesday and Thursday, 11:30AM-12:50PM, CS 2129
Lab:Monday, 9:00AM-11:30AM, CS 2129

Examinations

Midterm:Monday, March 27 (in lab)
Final:Wednesday, May 10, 5:30PM-8:00PM.

Textbook

Course Format

The course will include the following components:

Handouts

This semester, all course handouts, including homework assignments, will be available on the Web for you to download and print, if desired. No paper copies will be handed out. It is assumed that you know how to use a Web browser and have regular access to the Internet. Start from the course home page on the CS Department at the following URL:
http://www.cs.stonybrook.edu/~cse160/
I will try to announce in class when new homeworks and handouts are available, but ultimately it will be your responsibility to check the course web pages regularly to find out if there is anything new.

Grading

The final grade will be determined as follows: The raw scores obtained by a student on each assignment and exam will be standardized for that particular assignment or exam by converting them to percentile scores, or else by applying a linear transformation to map the scores to a standard [0, 100] scale. A weighted sum of the resulting standardized scores will then be formed (with weights as shown below) to obtain a composite score for each student. Finally, the composite scores will be ranked, and I will apply a subjective method of my choice to determine the cutoffs for each grade category. Absolute performance standards, the distribution of composite scores, and information derived from late homeworks are factors likely to contribute to this decision.

Academic Dishonesty

Read This! You may discuss the homework in this course with anyone you like, however each student's submission, including written material and coding, must be their own work, and only their own work. Any evidence that written homework submissions or source code have been copied, shared, or transmitted in any way between students (this includes using source code downloaded from the Internet or written by others in previous semesters!) will be regarded as evidence of academic dishonesty. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences regards academic dishonesty as a very serious matter, and provides for substantial penalties in such cases, such as receiving an `F' grade, or expulsion from the University. For more information, obtain a copy of the CEAS guidelines on academic dishonesty from the CEAS office.

Be advised that any evidence of academic dishonesty will be treated with utmost seriousness. Those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent permitted by the University and College laws.

All students taking this course are required to complete this form in which you acknowledge specific activities that are and are not permitted in this course. No grades will be issued for anyone who has not completed this form.

The following statement about academic dishonesty, adopted by the Undergraduate Council on September 12, 2006, is required to be included in syllabi for all undergraduate courses:

"Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Any suspected instance of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Judiciary. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website."

Students with Disabilities

"If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, I would urge that you contact the staff in the Disability Support Services office (DSS), ECC Building (behind SAC), 632-6748/TDD. DSS will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability is confidential."

Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and Disability Support Services. For procedures and information go to this web site and search Fire Safety and Evacuation and Disabilities.

Critical Incident Management

Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn.

Schedule of Topics

An outline of the course can be found by clicking on the following link: topics.html.