Concepts for
Advanced Computer Usage
CS 200 Winter 2019 1
Essential Information
Computer Science 200 Winter 2019
Barbara Daly
CS 200
Essential Information
This document is required reading.
Ignorance of its content will not exempt you from any course requirement.
CS 200 Winter 2019 2
Essential Information
Course Staff
Barbara Daly
Instructor
Instructional Support Coordinator
MC 4007, ext 3-6692 bmzister@uwaterloo.ca Office Hours Mondays 3:00-4:00
Nicholas Fontes
Lab Instructor
cs200@uwaterloo.ca
Office Hours Mondays 1:30-2:30 in MC4065
Klarence Estepa
Lab Instructor
cs200@uwaterloo.ca
Office Hours Wednesdays 1:30-2:30 Fridays 2:30-3:30
in MC4065
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E-mail:
Course Communication
When sending us e-mail, please start the subject line with “CS200…” (for easier filtering and faster email response).
Avoid using hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc, which are more likely to be intercepted by spam filters.
CS200 staff will use your UW account (userid@edu.uwaterloo.ca) if we need to contact you, to ensure that
we do not release private information to a third person. (This is university policy.) If you wish, you may arrange for email sent to your UW e-mail account to be forwarded to an account of your choosing—see https://ego.uwaterloo.ca/~uwdir/Update
If you do, it is your responsibility to ensure that e-mail can be received at the forwarded address. In all cases, you are expected to check your e-mail at least once a day.
Twitter:
Course updates and reminders will be tweeted from @CS200uWaterloo. We will discuss the use and effectiveness of this social media tool throughout the term.
If you do not have twitter, the tweets can be seen on the Learn Announcements page.
Pinterest:
Interesting articles or useful instructional videos can be found at our Pinterest account:
https://www.pinterest.com/cs2000143
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Course Organization (Lectures)
“Lectures” focus on important and/or difficult concepts
• learn straightforward material on your own
Attendance is mandatory
• you can’t expect to do well without attending lectures • there are no useful textbooks
• please be on time!
Lectures will usually be a mixture of
• things you know & things you don’t know
Classroom Etiquette
Please do not use laptops in class. They are distracting to yourself and others and you will be able to
focus on material and important information better if you’re distracted.
The following article discusses students’ learning abilities if handwritten notes are taken:
http://bit.ly/1sRqGBL
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Lecture slides
Lecture Strategies
The slides for each lecture will be available via the “Content: Lectures” on the CS200 learn.uwaterloo.ca site the day before lecture. A revised version, fixing any typos discovered during lecture, will be posted by 6:00 PM on the following day. Other class handouts, if any, will be available in the same location.
This term’s lectures, as well as previous term’s lectures are also available on the course website: https://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cs200/.
These slides are an outline of each lecture; you will need to supplement them with your own notes.
They are not a substitute for coming to lecture! Take notes
• these slides are only an outline — they don’t stand alone
Review your notes promptly
• to fix concepts in your mind
• to formulate questions—not everything is immediately obvious… • high-light key material
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Social Media
In many lectures, we will briefly look at something discovered in social media or ethics of technology that has a powerful impact on our society and day to day lives.
We will be using Twitter and Pinterest as a means of course communication. @cs200uWaterloo
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Platform
• Macs
Where
Organization (Labs)
• in MC 2062/2063(scheduled labs), and/or MC3003, MC3004, MC3005, MC3027 for free time • on your own machine (most CS200 apps are cross-platform)
Lab material will guide your learning
• but not (usually) step-by-step
Labs are a mixture of
• lecturettes, which typically happen at the beginning of the lab • demos
• supervised work on assignments
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Assignments
Weekly through Week 13
• Due Mondays at 11:59 PM unless otherwise stated.
Generally returned in the first lab of the following week.
• Some questions are individual, but some questions can be done in groups of two.
Be sure you understand what your partner does!
Marking questions / mistakes
• must be raised within two weeks of return
Late Policy
• 10% per day, but no later than the Wednesday at 11:59 following the original due date. • If your assignment is late, marking it has minimal priority
BUT, you have 5 free slip (aka “late”) days for emergencies or whatever (your choice)
• distributed across assignments as you wish • use them wisely, and don’t expect more!
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Examinations (1)
The term tests (in lecture time, room TBA):
• January 31st • February 28th • April 4th
Exams emphasize concepts
• mostly short essay questions • + a few fact-testing questions
• eg assignment- & lab-based questions • + a few keyword definitions
50 – 75 % of the essay questions
• will be from the CS200 Study Questions on Learn • with minor modifications / substitutions
Understand technical terms (weekly keywords)
• so you understand the questions
• posted to the Keywords discussion board on Learn
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Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
(Jan 8): (Jan 15): (Jan 22): (Jan 29): (Jan 31): (Feb 5): (Feb 12):
Week 5
Week 6
Reading Week (Feb 18-22)
Course Outline*
Course Intro & Word Processing (MS Word) Styles in Word Processing (MS Word)
Pixel Graphics (Adobe Photoshop) Geometric Graphics (Adobe Photoshop) Test #1 (Word Processing and Styles)
The Web, HTML, CSS & Forms (TextWrangler) Application Scripting (MS Excel)
Database Intro
Test #2 (Graphics and HTML) Database Fundamentals (SQL) Database (FileMaker) Application Scripting (FileMaker) Enhanced FileMaker
Review
Test #3 (Excel and Databases)
system management, hardware, social media, pearls (know these by heart!)
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Week 7
(Feb 26): (Feb 28): (Mar 5): (Mar 12): (Mar 19): (Mar 26): (Apr 2): (Apr 4):
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
+ weekly snippets on:
Marking
Assignments Testing
Final Assignment
The course marks will be adjusted if appropriate
~ 25 %
~ 60 %
~ 15 %
You must pass the combined weighted tests to pass the course
• if you fail the combined weighted mark of your tests your course mark is this mark • The testing is 3 term tests over the course of the term, weighted appropriately.
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Administrativia (1)
Course notes are no longer available, but relevant support documents are on Learn. They contain:
• Introduction to the Course Environment • Readings
• Reference material
• Study questions
• Sample exams
• and other useful material
The course message board is located at
learn.uwaterloo.ca
The course web site (“cws”) is located at https://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cs200/.
It contains
• staff contact info
• lecture slides for the current & previous terms • assignments for the current & previous terms • sample exams
• reasons to come to class
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pearls
FAQs
list of books on reserve in the library hints on taking notes
Essential Information
Administrativia (2)
The first assignment is due next Monday January 14th at 11:59 pm Labs start this week
“CS200 — Introduction to the Course Environment” on Learn
Schedule:
Section101: 12:30pm–2:20pm,Tues&Thurs,MC2062&2063 Section102: 2:30pm–4:20pm,Tues&Thurs,MC2062&2063
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Expectations
Our job
• is to pick the right things for you to figure out
Your job
• is to figure them out!
Answering questions
• often we’ll suggest how to figure out the answer rather than just telling you — learning how to figure things out is more important!
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Required Books
The Mac is not a Typewriter, 2nd Ed, Robin Williams
• you should have this read during the first week of class & labs, before A1 is due (next Tuesday) (it’s not
long)
• details proper word processing techniques and format
• helpful whether you use Mac or Windows
The Non-Designer’s Design Book, 4th Ed, Robin Williams • you will need this to complete A1 as well
• principles of design and typography
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Essential Information
Image Source: amazon.com
Image Source: amazon.com
Previous Experience Summary
CS200 students are assumed to have acquired the knowledge imparted by CS 100 or from some other source. Here’s a capsule summary of highschool content and assumed knowledge.
What iS a computer?
• the naming of parts
Word Processing
• editing, word wrap, “non-printing characters” • character, paragraph, & document attributes
Spreadsheets
• cells, cell addressing, cell formulas, cell formatting • named ranges
Simple Programming Concepts
• variables, assignment statements, if-statements, loops • procedures & functions
• input & output
Networking and Telecommunications
• e-mail
• the internet
Problem solving with a computer
• “If somebody were to drop you into a chair in front of Word, Excel, or FileMaker,
you could use it effectively to do the usual sort of thing”
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CS200 Summary
Given that you’ve acquired the requisite background, here’s a summary of CS 200’s objectives:
• Learn how to use computers efficiently;
learn how to learn to use computer applications efficiently
• give a man a fish, feed him for a day;
teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime
• The goal:
• That you emerge a knowledgeable, efficient user of computer technology, able to
• learn new applications efficiently
• purchase and maintain your own PC
• where “maintain” means
• install new software
• connect new hardware
• maintain file systems
• localize problems
• explain problems to a technician
• Computers are not the point of CS200;
using computers well to do interesting and useful things is the point.
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CS200 Emphasis
The emphasis in CS200 is on important concepts
• that transcend particular applications / platforms • that help you learn and work efficiently
There is considerably more emphasis on process, and less on facts, than in CS100
• learning on your own
• learning by doing
• methodologies for learning
You should come to think of applications as tools,
and expect that most jobs will require moving data between several applications
Quality is important, too, though it’s not our primary emphasis. (CS300?)
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More on CS200 Assumptions — Background
You are assumed to have some computer science or basic application experience
• Everyone will have a bit more here, a bit less there.
• You are expected to pick up missing pieces on your own. • (See us for suggestions.)
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CS200 Assumptions — Environment
Your computing environment will change rapidly for the foreseeable future:
• new & faster hardware, sometimes requiring new versions of your software
• new releases of software you’re already using, containing new features and sometimes with a changed interface
• typically at least once per year
And you’re often forced to upgrade software because vendors don’t support older versions. You will be more confident buying and maintaining your own PCs
• your company’s IT people won’t make house calls…
So you need to know a bit about
• hardware
• operating systems • “file systems”
and become familiar with the standard trade journals
• MacWorld www.macworld.com • PC Magazinewww.pcmag.com
• PC World www.pcworld.com • etc…
in which you will find product reviews and tutorials.
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So … should you take CS200 this term?
See (also) the cws at
https://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cs200/
for
• a discussion of the background expected for CS200
• a discussion of course goals
• a sample midterm
• a sample final
• a sample lab exam
• last term’s lecture slides and assignments
especially the page “About / Should I take CS200?”
https://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cs200/About.html#GoToShouldTake200
Take CS200 because
• you are excited to learn something new
• your goals are to extend your learning of things you already know
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Cooperation
Cooperation with respect to ideas is encouraged
but …
• you punch your own keys, and
• you do not copy other people’s/group’s assignments
Thus it’s okay to discuss how to do something in general terms (ie concepts),
but not to
• copy/paste another person’s answer for an assignment • or to just type it in
If you’re not sure what’s appropriate
• ask us, and/or
• state the nature of your cooperation on the assignment
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From the CS Curriculum Committee:
Cheating
Students should be aware of the seriousness of cheating and the penalty associated with it. The standard penalty for cheating will be the assignment of a grade of 0 for the assignment, test, or exam in question, with a minimum deduction of 5% from the final course grade. All such incidents will also be reported to the Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies) of the student’s faculty.
Cheating includes copying from another student’s work or allowing another student to copy from one’s own work, consultation with any unauthorized person during an examination or test, and use of unauthorized aids. University policy regards plagiarism or copying as an academic offense. All material submitted for marking must be the original work of those students submitting the material. A student’s signature on an assignment or exam certifies that the material is the student’s work and that it does not contravene the University regulations concerning plagiarism, copying or other academic offenses.
It is understood that there will be “gray area” cases in which less than the standard penalty will be appropriate and that in extraordinary cases, heavier penalties, such as suspension or expulsion, may be sought through the appropriate Faculty committee.
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How To Do Well in CS200 (1)
Attend lectures & labs
• review your lecture notes within a day of each lecture • high-light key phrases
• identify what you don’t understand
Read assignments carefully (preferably more than once!)
• high-light key phrases
DO the assignments!
• & understand what your partner does, when you have one
Practice the pearls
Think about what you’re doing
Think about how you’re doing it
If assignments consistently take too much time
• talk to an ISA or instructor
Top 10 reasons to go to class
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How To Do Well in CS200 (2)
Review the sample lab & lecture exams this week
Ask questions!
• they’re the best way for us to find out
• what we’ve failed to explain
• whether you understand something
• that you’re especially interested in something
• use office hours
• sometimes the instructor will pause during lecture
• to let an idea bounce around in your head
• to give you a chance to ask a question if,
as an idea bounces, you’re unsure about something
There is typically a short Q & A at the beginning of each lecture
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Working At Home
You are welcome to do so, but
• some things will be explained only in lab
• that’s where we’ll help you learn how to learn
If you work at home
• it is your responsibility to ensure, ahead of time,
that your files can be opened and read in the lab
• eg: check application versions & file formats
Most software used is available on both Macs & PCs
• eg: through the University computer store (for a price…) • eg: Excel, FileMaker, MySQL, Gimp, Inkscape, Word
It is easiest to use a a remote file service like Dropbox to transfer files between home and the lab.
To access your course file from home you will need to log into the VPN of the University.
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Things You Need For This Course
• The Mac is Not a Typewriter by Robin Williams
• The Non-Designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams
• CSS Handbook (recommended)
• Learning Web Design by Jennifer Niederst (recommended) • to come to class
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We will discuss seven pearls
• one every week or 2
You are expected to know and understand all of them There is ALWAYS a pearl question on the midterm and final See “Course Materials / Pearls” on the cws
But perhaps one size doesn’t fit all?
• would your list be different?
• think about this as the term progresses
More generally,
• as you work on assignments,
periodically ask yourself
• “how could I work more efficiently?” • “how can I motivate myself to …”
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Essential Information
“Pearls”
Application “data objects”
The Model Pearl
• what you manipulate
• eg. tables in a word processor…
• we’ll see several more examples later today as we discuss pixel graphics
The application’s interface
• how you manipulate those data objects
• what operations are grouped in each menu?
• are there interaction techniques used often & consistently?
• eg click-down-drag-release to select a range of contiguous objects
• eg shift-option-click repeatedly to select multiple discontiguous objects • eg command-S to save the current document
• are there icons used consistently to represent analogous operations? • eg
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