Texts
(Read the Important
Note (below the list of texts) before you buy! Three books are
listed as "required", but only one is required; which text is
required depends on your choice of language.)
- Head First Java (2nd ed.) , by Kathy Sierra and Bert
Bates, O'Reilly Media, Inc. ISBN 978-0596009205 (2005) (Required for
the Java option only!)
Download the Java errata.
- Head First C# (3rd ed.) , by Jennifer Greene and
Andrew Stellman, O'Reilly Media, Inc. ISBN 978-1449343507 (2013)
(Required for the C# option only!)
Download the C# errata.
- C++ Primer (5th ed.), by Lippman, Lajoie, and Moo,
Addison Wesley ISBN 978-0321714114 (2012) (Required for the
C++ option only!)
To download the C++ errata click on the "Updates" tab.
Note regarding C++ in this course and in SSE 554: C++ has changed over the years, and instructors now face the decision of
teaching the course "the old way" or "the new way". With the selection of this text, we are selecting "the new way". (This
way is explained in some detail in the text.) Expect people who learned C++ "the old way" to be surprised by this approach.
In particular, we will be learning C++ as it is intended to be used based on its current design; we will _not_ be
following the historical approach of treating C++ as an extension of C.
Other Resources
You will need a suitable computer. The University's
Computer Recommendations are appropriate for this course for Windows and OS X. If you use the Linux
operating system this course, the recommendations for Windows computers will also be suitable for Linux.
Please see the Online Learning page for more information
regarding expected student student access to the internet, and corresponding software.
Please see the Mercer's Distance Learning page for more information
regarding expected student student access to the internet, and corresponding software.
Course Description
This is a beginning course in object-oriented development. It may be taken in one of several
object-oriented languages, e.g., C#, Java, or C++.
This Online Learning course begins on August 22, 2017 at 12:00 am Eastern time. All assignments
are due by the end (11:59:59 pm) of the specified calendar day in the Eastern time zone. This course ends at
11:59:59 pm on December 11, 2017, in the Eastern time zone.
Back to Top
Prerequisite(s)
Permission of the program director.
Please see the Online Learning page for more information
regarding expected student abilities and aptitudes.
Back to Top
Grading
Item
|
Percent of Term Grade
|
Direct Activity Report 1 |
3
|
Direct Activity Report 2 |
3
|
Direct Activity Report 3 |
4
|
Project 1 will be delivered twice, once provisionally, and
in a final version. (See Assignments, below.) The grade for the
provisional version will determine whether or not you are
reported as being in academic trouble early in the semester.
The grade of the final version will replace the grade of the
provisional version. |
25
|
Project 2 |
30
|
Project 3 |
35
|
Credit will be given only for original work.
The Mercer University Honor Code, including its provisions for
academic honesty (including plagiarism), applies to all Mercer
students.
Project reports are to be submitted complete, not as
incremental partial submissions.
All course work time is categorized as either Direct or
Non-Direct (but not both). More information about the Direct and
Non-Direct categories is contained in the Direct and Non-Direct and Report Logs. Please read these pages very
carefully.
Instruction Time
Federal and regional accreditation requirements stipulate that
a 3-credit hour course must include 150 minutes of direct instruction
time per week. For this course, that direct instruction time
includes"
- Collaborative discussions with other students regarding the
content of readings assigned for the course.
- Collaborative discussions with other students regarding the
content that goes beyond readings assigned for the course, but is
not part of work on the projects assigned on the syllabus.
- Collaborative development of generic technology that may be
useful for your project(s), but is not, in its generic form, part of
your project.
In addition to the 150 minutes of direct instruction time each
week, students are expected to spend a minimum of 300 additional
minutes per week completing reading and writing assignments:
- Doing the assigned reading.
- Working on the projects assigned on the syllabus.
More information about the Direct and Non-Direct categories is
contained in the Direct and
Non-Direct and Report Logs web
pages. Please
read these pages very carefully.
All deliverables (Activity Reports and Project Reports)
are due on their assigned dates.
- Deliverables submitted no more than one day late may be graded,
but with a 10 point penalty .
- Deliverables submitted more than one day (24 hours) late will
receive a grade of zero.
- The Non-Direct Activity reports are part of the project reports.
The Non-Direct Activity reports do not receive a separate
grade, but are used to help in evaluating your project reports.
Use the Report Logs to help you to manage your time and keep on
schedule. You should schedule your work evenly throughout
the term.
More information about project grading is contained
in the General Project Rubric .
If you have a question about any of this, please ask.
Back to Top
Additional Information
- Asynchronous Learning Nets (ALNs)
-
- Self Study: You study the texts and any other course study
material on your own(team).
- Collaborative Projects: After your self-study, you
collaborate (via the Internet [email]) with your partner(s) to
produce a team product. Your collaborative work is substantial,
asynchronous, and rapid.
- This course is an online learning course. Please read this
Online Learning web page
regarding online learning in this course and this program.
Back to Top
- Subscribe to the course email listserv before the second day of class. Your professor will tell you how to do
this.
- Study the assigned material.
- Write and read email messages about ideas, problems and
solutions to do with the assigned study material.
- Do the assigned work, deliver the assigned deliverables.
- Write and read email messages (to/from the listserv) about
ideas, problems, projects, and solutions to do with the assigned
homework.
- Review the deliverables produced by other people.
Changes to this Syllabus:
There will be changes to this syllabus, so check back
frequently, and don't forget to hit "Reload" or "Refresh".
Schedule of Assignments and Events (tentative)
Start Date
|
End Date
|
Activity/Event
|
August 22, 2017 |
December 11, 2017 |
Course in Progress |
|
August 22, 2017 |
Subscribe to the course listserv. |
August 22, 2017 |
September 15, 2017 |
Work on Project 1 |
|
September 15, 2017 |
Project 1 Provisional due |
|
September 18, 2017 |
Direct Activity Report 1 due
|
|
September 25, 2017 |
Project 1 Final due |
|
October 23, 2017 |
Project 2 due |
|
October 30, 2017 |
Direct Activity Report 2 due |
|
December 11, 2017 |
Direct Activity Report 3 due
Project 3 due
Course ends
|
Notes: The course begins at midnight (12:00 am) on the first day of class (see schedule above), and ends
at 11:59:59 pm on the last day of class. Assignments are due at any time during the day specified on the schedule,
that is, before 11:59:59 pm on that day. All times are Macon, Georgia (Eastern time zone) times.
Back to Top