Parkland College
2400 West Bradley Avenue, Champaign, Illinois 61821
Csc 220 Data Structures 
Course Content and Requirements
Fall 2006

 

Daily Topics

Each lecture class period will have a Daily Topics Guide accessed through the Content tab in Angel or directly from this web site at the Csc 220 Data Structures home page.  Each day's guide will have the topic for the day, the readings from the book, and a description of any in-class exercises.   

 

Projects

A number of graded programming projects will be assigned throughout the course. Each project will be specified in detail in a project description web page on this site, including specific grading criteria for earning the points for that project.   Each graded project will be considered due at the date and time scheduled on the project description posted on this website.  The grade will be given and explained during an individual 10 or 15 minute grading session with the student and the instructor reviewing the student's project. The student will then be able to improve the grade by eliminating any deficiencies and meeting again with the instructor any time until the next project's grading date.  The last project will be upgraded only if it is graded before the date of the Final.  The scheduled Final is the absolute last deadline for all graded material.

If you know that you will need to miss a project's interactive grading date, you may have it graded before the scheduled date. If you miss a project's grading date without prior arrangements, you must contact the instructor and make arrangements to have your project graded as soon as possible.  Part of the published grading criteria for a project may be that it is substantially working at the time of the scheduled the interactive grading with the instructor.

The projects must be designed and coded individually -- there will be no projects done in groups. Students may get as much appropriate help for their projects as they need, but they must do their own work (please see Plagiarism policies).

Always have complete backups of all your work and retain them until after the end of the semester.   Retaining backups of all your work at all times is a course requirement for all graded work, and your grade may be adversely affected if you do not have a backup if needed.  Also, you must retain all grade sheets handed back to you until the end of the course, in case there is any question about your recorded grades.

 

Shorter In-class Projects

A number of shorter projects will be integrated with the lectures.  You will be expected to start the projects during the time set aside for labs in class.  You are encouraged to work together and help each other during the in-class projects.  They hopefully will be completed and graded within the class period, but that is not a requirement.  They can be graded during a subsequent class, with the deadlines posted on this website.  You will always be given at least a week to complete a project.  Even though the in-class projects are collaborative, you are expected to fully understand the work you present for grade points (please see Plagiarism policies).     

 

Tests

There will be a number of tests during the semester based on the readings, class lectures, and in-class projects.  The tests will be reasonably short.  Some will be graded immediately by the instructor.  Others may be handed in.  They will always be announced at least one week in advance, and a study guide will be posted on this web site.  The study guide will have a very specific description of the skills the test will cover.  You may miss a test if you have a very good reason, but only if you talk with me personally or call and leave a message on my Phone Mail, 353-2250, as soon as the reason becomes known to you.  Your final course grade will be calculated on a total number of points that does not include that specific test.  Excuses for more than one missed test will not be accepted except for extremely good reasons such as National Guard duty, a birth, or a hospital stay.  You may not make up a test.

 

Final

Parkland College requires a final be given for all courses that receive college credit. The final for CSC 220 will be a test, similar to the previous tests, but somewhat longer and more comprehensive.  It will be given during the published final exam time, Monday, May ?? at the normal class time, 6:00 to 7:50 PM.  Attendance at this time period is a course requirement.  Please plan accordingly and do not schedule any conflicts.

  
Back to Syllabus
  Scott Badman   Office: B132   Phone:  353-2250   sbadman@parkland.edu  

Parkland College, 2400 W. Bradley Avenue, Champaign, IL 61821