Department of Computer Science

CS 1026A 650: Computer Science Fundamentals I

Summer 2023 – Online
Course Outline

1. Course Information
Lecture Schedule
Instructors Time Room
Section 650 Prerecorded video lectures ONLINE (OWL, Teams,
Prof. Abdelkareem Jaradat uploaded to MS-Teams Gradescope)

Course Schedule
All important dates are available in a separate Timeline document. You can find the document on
Teams.

List of Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites. No previous programming experience is required.

Where to start?
The CS 1026A course site on OWL is labelled as "COMPSCI 1026A 650 SU23 ". login to OWL and
find this site. You will find instructions for next steps in the welcome page.

Timezone
All times state in this course are in Eastern Standard Time, EST. Please adjust your calendat
accordingly.

2. Instructor Information
Instructors Email Office Office Hours
Prof. Abdelkareem Jaradat ajarada3 at uwo.ca MC 24 Check Teams

TA Consulting
Teaching Assistants and their consulting hours for CS1026 will be posted on Teams.

TA Email Office Office Hours

Duff Jones djone5 at uwo.ca online Check Teams
Arshin Rezazadeh arezaza6 at uwo.ca online Check Teams
Ali Saleh asaleh45 at uwo.ca online Check Teams
Shabnam Shabani sshaban7 at uwo.ca online Check Teams

Communication

All communication between the students, instructor, and TAs is done through Microsoft Teams.
No email communication in this course. And therefore, all emails will be ignored.

Students are encouraged to contact their course instructor/TAs via MS-Teams chat with brief,
appropriate questions regarding lecture materials or clarification of assignments. However, before
sending any message to an instructor, you must follow the following steps:

1. Check the course outline for the information you want. If you didn’t find what you want in the
course outline,
2. Check the announcements, as the instructor/TAs regularly posts new information, clarification,
and extra details. If you can’t find an answer,
3. Check the course Teams channels. These channels are a place that you can ask your collegues for
help or you can provide help for your peers. Channels are a good place to regularly visit, you
may get inspired by others or you can inspire others. If you can’t find an answer to your issue,
you may then contact the TA.

Students are divided into 4 groups based on the student last name. Each group contact one of the TAs
uding Teams messages. Please check Teams to figure out your TA to contact.
That being said, office hours are available for all students without considering these groups.

3. Course Syllabus, Schedule, Delivery Mode

Course Description
CS 1026 provides an introduction to the basic concepts of computer programming and program design.
It is intended for students who have an interest in learning basic programming skills including those who
intend to study Computer Science. This course assumes no previous programming background,
although having some experience with programming is an asset.

Programming skills will be developed using the Python programming language. Course topics include:
data types, variables, expressions, program constructs, strings (text), functions, basic data structures
(lists, tuples, sets dictionaries), objects, object‐oriented design, classes, modularity, and problem‐solving
techniques. Programming examples and assignments are taken from a variety of disciplines.

Lecture Topics
Online, prerecoded, over Teams. The course lecture are in recorded videos format. At the beginning of
each week, a new set of videos is uploaded with the corresponding topics covered.

Lecture Topics
 • Introduction to Computers and Python
• Variable Types
• Input/Output
• Conditionals
• Loops
• Functions
• Lists, Tuples, Sets, and Dictionaries
• Exception Handling
• Object-Oriented Programming and Inheritance

Key Sessional Dates

title Date
Classes begin May 8, 2023
Midterm Tentative on 2-June at 7:00 PM EST
Classes end June 16, 2023
Final Exam TBD

Lab Schedule
Lab # Week
Lab 1 May 15-19
Lab 2 May 15-19
Lab 3 May 22-26
Lab 4 May 22-26
Lab 5 May 29- June 2
Lab 6 May 29- June 2
Lab 7 June 5 - 9
Lab 8 June 5 - 9
Lab 9 June 12 - 16
Lab 10 June 12 - 16
Please keep an eye on the Timeline document as any change in the schedule will be updated only on the
timeline document.

Contingency plan for an in-person class pivoting to 100% online learning

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the course that necessitates the course delivery moving
away from face-to-face interaction, affected course content will be delivered entirely online,
asynchronously (e.g., posted on Teams for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme
will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online as determined by the course
instructor.

4. Course Materials
Students are responsible for checking the course team on a regular basis for the course lectures, material,
assignments, announcements, and updates. This is the only method by which information will be
disseminated to all students in the class. All course material will be posted to Teams.

If students need assistance with the course OWL site, MS Teams, Gradescope, or ProctorTrack they can
seek support on the corresponding Help page. Alternatively, they can contact the Western Technology
Services Helpdesk. They can be contacted by phone at 519-661-3800 or ext. 83800.

Technical Requirements
Stable internet connection; a computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) that can run Python and the IDE.
The course makes use of the Python programming language (https://www.python.org/). We will be using
Python 3.9 and versions for Windows and Macs can be found at: https://www.python.org/downloads/. To
avoid some installation problems, download Python first.

When you download and install Python, you will get a simple editor/development environment called IDLE;
you may use this (not recommended) for editing and creating your Python programs. We recommend to
make use of richer development environments such as VS Code (https://code.visualstudio.com/download).

Textbook
There is a strongly recommended digital textbook, ZyBooks, for this course. Although it is not required
for grades, it is in your best interest to purchase it in order to do well in the course.

Follow these steps to subscribe to the ZyBook now:

1. Sign in or create an account at https://learn.zybooks.com/

2. Enter zyBook code: UWOCOMPSCI1026ABSummer2023
3. Subscribe

Technologies used
This course utilizes several platforms to ensure students the best experience. It is important for students
to know which platform is used for what:
1. Microsoft Teams: This is used to find all course material, labs instructions,assignments
instructions, announcements, discussions, contacting TAs.
2. OWL: Used to track your grades, and do the quiz, midterm and final exam
3. Gradescope: Used to submit the assignments and to submit labs.
4. ProctorTrack: Needs to be enabled to be able to do the exams.
5. VScode: The coding environment used to write, debug, and run your code.

5. Methods of Evaluation
The overall course grade will be calculated as listed below:
Orientation quiz 2%
Assignments (3) 35% (5%, 12%, and 18%)
Labs (10) 8% (1% each; the lowest 2 are dropped)
Midterm Test 20%
Final Exam 35%
Assignments

There are 3 assignments that require you to apply the topics you learned from the lectures and/or labs
and implement Python programs.

All assignments are due via Gradescope at 11:55 pm on the due date unless stated. Otherwise, if an
assignment has to be cancelled by the instructors for any reason, the remaining assignments will be re-
weighted to add up to 35%.

Late Policy on Assignments

Assignments can be submitted up to 3 days late. For each day late, there is a 10% deduction from the
overall value of the assignment. Assignments will not be accepted more than 3 days after the due date
and will be graded as 0.

Re-submissions are allowed as many times as you want. We will mark you last submission. However,
note that re-submissions after the deadline will be considered late, regardless of when the initial
submission was made.

Assignments will be submitted through Gradescope unless otherwise stated. You have free access to
Gradescope as a Western student. Steps to submit on Gradescope will be explained in more detail closer
to the deadline of the first assignment. We will not accept assignments submitted via email, teams, or
any other format.

A portion of each assignment's grade will come from auto-graded tests and the rest will come from
programming style, formatting, logic, comments, etc. Sometimes, some of the tests will be provided, but
note that additional tests may be run that are hidden from you, so you should create your own additional
tests to ensure your code works properly in all cases. It is your responsibility to ensure the code is tested
well before submitting to Gradescope in order to get full marks (if the tests pass on VScode on your
computer but not on Gradescope, you will not get those marks).

No late coupons are used in this course. No SRAs.

Assignments are to be done individually, not in groups. The submitted code will be run through a
similarity-checking software to look for cheating. Do not copy or share code in any way.

Tentative Assignment Due Dates:

Assignment 1 May 19 at 11:55 PM EST
Assignment 2 May 26 at 11:55 PM EST
Assignment 3 June 9 at 11:55 PM EST
An announcement will be posted to Teams if any change may happen. Please follow the timeline
document for recent dates.
Labs

Lab instructions will be available on the course website at the start of each week.
• There are 10 weekly labs which should each take 1 hour or less to complete.
• The labs begin the week of May 15-19.
• Labs are done individually. This means that you can do the on your own time while submitting it
before the due date/time.
• Completed labs are submitted through Gradescope. You will find a separate lab assignment
entry for each week.
• It is your responsibility to submit the completed lab work at 11:55 pm on the due date after the
lab is posted. Submissions occur after the specified time will not be considered.
• Each completed lab is worth 1% of your final grade, and we will drop the lowest 2 labs at the end
of the term.
• To receive credit for a lab, you must complete the lab work during the week and submit it before
the end of the week to Gradescope.
• The labs are generally pass/fail, so, 0 or 1.
• Since we are dropping the lowest 2 labs, you can miss up to 2 labs without affecting your mark.
This way, if you have any emergencies, you can miss 2 labs while you still can get the full
marks.
• At the beginning of each week, every Monday midnight, 2 lab submission tabs will be active on
Gradescope. Please complete the 2 labs and submit them to Gradescope before Friday 11:55
PM EST. After this time the submission tab will be disabled.

Midterm

The midterm will be tentatively scheduled 2-June at 7:00 PM EST. It is online over OWL and
ProctorTrack. If the date or time for the midterm is changed, an announcement will be posted on Teams
with the new exam information. The midterm format is announced later.

You are required to do an on-boarding test with Proctortrack to make sure that your computer setup is
fine and to avoid complications at the exam time. Please complete the on-boarding test once posted.

There will not be a make-up midterm. If you cannot write the midterm for a valid reason (i.e. conflict
with another university assessment, medical reasons, or religious reasons), you will have to contact your
academic counsellor to request accommodations to miss the midterm. If you obtain such
accommodations, the weight of the midterm will be shifted to the final exam, making it worth
20+35=55%. Without such accommodations, missing the midterm will result in a mark of zero on
the midterm and it cannot be made up.
Final Exam

The final exam will be scheduled by the University. The exact date, time, and location for our exam will
likely be announced in May. The final exam is cumulative and it will be conducted online over OWL
and ProctorTrack.

The post-midterm topics will be more prevalent on the final exam but pre-midterm topics will be
testable on the final exam too.

Grade Requirements

To be eligible to receive a grade of 50% or higher (i.e. to pass the course), you must achieve:
• at least 40% on the final exam, and
• at least 40% weighted average on all the assignments
If you fail to meet either of these conditions, your final mark will be either 45% or your calculated
grade, whichever is lower.

To be eligible to receive a grade of 60% or higher, you must achieve:

• at least 50% on the final exam, and
• at least 50% weighted average on the four assignments
If you fail to meet either of these conditions, your final mark will be either 58% or your calculated
grade, whichever is lower.

6. Student Absences

If you are unable to meet a course requirement due to illness or other serious circumstances, please
follow the procedures below.

Assessments worth less than 10% of the overall course grade:

You can miss up to 2 labs without any penalty since we drop the lowest 2 labs. If you miss several labs
due to an ongoing illness or other valid reason, you should contact your academic counsellor to seek
accommodations for the other labs you miss and then contact your course instructor about it.

If you required additional time with assignments with an urgent valid reason, you should contact your
academic counsellor to seek accommodations for the assignments that are late. If it is impossible to do,
then contact your TA about it.

Assessments worth 10% or more of the overall course grade:

For work totalling 10% or more of the final course grade, you must provide valid medical or supporting
documentation to the Academic Counselling Office of your Faculty of Registration as soon as possible.
The instructors and the TAs will not accept any excuse without a letter from the counsellor.
For further information, please consult the University’s medical illness policy at
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/accommodation_medical.pdf.
The Student Medical Certificate is available at
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/medicalform.pdf.

Absences from Final Examinations

If you miss the Final Exam, please contact the Academic Counselling office of your Faculty of
Registration as soon as you are able to do so. They will assess your eligibility to write the Special
Examination (the name given by the University to a makeup Final Exam).

You may also be eligible to write the Special Exam if you are in a “Multiple Exam Situation” (e.g., more
than 2 exams in 23-hour period, more than 3 exams in a 47-hour period).

If a student fails to write a scheduled Special Examination, the date of the next Special Examination (if
granted) normally will be the scheduled date for the final exam the next time this course is offered. The
maximum course load for that term will be reduced by the credit of the course(s) for which the final
examination has been deferred. See the Academic Calendar for details (under Special Examinations).

Note: missed work can only be excused through one of the mechanisms above. Being asked not to
attend an in-person course requirement due to potential COVID-19 symptoms is not sufficient on its
own.

6. Accommodation and Accessibility

Religious Accommodation
When a course requirement conflicts with a religious holiday that requires an absence from the
University or prohibits certain activities, students should request accommodation for their absence in
writing at least two weeks prior to the holiday to the course instructor and/or the Academic Counselling
office of their Faculty of Registration. Please consult University's list of recognized religious holidays
(updated annually) at
https://multiculturalcalendar.com/ecal/index.php?s=c-univwo.

Accommodation Policies
Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact Accessible Education, which provides
recommendations for accommodation based on medical documentation or psychological and
cognitive testing. The policy on Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities can be
found at:
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic Accommodation_disabilities.pdf.
7. Academic Policies
The website for Registrarial Services is http://www.registrar.uwo.ca.

In accordance with policy,

https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/policies_procedures/section1/mapp113.pdf,
the centrally administered e-mail account provided to students will be considered the individual’s
official university e-mail address. It is the responsibility of the account holder to ensure that e-mail
received from the University at their official university address is attended to in a timely manner.

No electronic devices (including phones, calculators, etc.) are permitted on the midterm or final exam.

Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy,
specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and exams may be subject to submission for similarity review
by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

Code submitted for labs, assignments, and/or exams may be run through comparison-checking software
such as MOSS to look for cases of cheating.

In the event of health lock-down, tests and exams in this course may be conducted using a remote
proctoring service. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and
acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data)
and the session will be recorded. Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet
connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service. More information about
this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote
Proctoring website at:
https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.

8. Support Services
Please visit the Science & Basic Medical Sciences Academic Counselling webpage for information on
adding/dropping courses, academic considerations for absences, appeals, exam conflicts, and many other
academic related matters: https://www.uwo.ca/sci/counselling/.

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western

(https://uwo.ca/health/) for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

Western is committed to reducing incidents of gender-based and sexual violence and providing
compassionate support to anyone who has gone through these traumatic events. If you have experienced
sexual or gender-based violence (either recently or in the past), you will find information about support
services for survivors, including emergency contacts at
 https://www.uwo.ca/health/student_support/survivor_support/get-help.html.
To connect with a case manager or set up an appointment, please contact [email protected].

Learning-skills counsellors at the Student Development Centre (https://learning.uwo.ca) are ready to

help you improve your learning skills. They offer presentations on strategies for improving time
management, multiple-choice exam preparation/writing, textbook reading, and more. Individual support
is offered throughout the Fall/Winter terms in the drop-in Learning Help Centre, and year-round through
individual counselling.

Western University is committed to a thriving campus as we deliver our courses in the mixed model of
both virtual and face-to-face formats. We encourage you to check out the Digital Student Experience
website to manage your academics and well-being: https://www.uwo.ca/se/digital/.

Additional student-run support services are offered by the USC, https://westernusc.ca/services/.