CS160 - Scholer Current | Chemeketa CS

Week 1

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe, compare, and contrast various professions and careers in Computing
Chart an educational pathway for entrance into these professions
Identify key developments in the evolution of computing hardware
Explain how computers make use of indexes to search for information
Make simple modifications to existing Python programs to observe the effects

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

In class:

Class welcome and policies
What is CS?
Do Indexing activity and introduce Algorithm of the Week

Independent:

Do Algorithm of the Week reading
Do the background survey and class policies quiz

Second Class Meeting

In class:

Programming Intro
Computing Fields & Careers

Independent:

Programming - Complete Ch 13
Programming - Ch 14 Reading
Do Computer Fields readings
Do History of Computing reading
Do written assignment

Class Policies

Make sure that you have read and understood the Syllabus (in elearn). Then take the background survey and Syllabus/Policy quiz in elearn.

Activities

What is CS? Why study it?

Why learn about CS? What kinds of things do people with CS degrees do? Watch these videos:

Algorithm of the Week: Indexing

Read Chapters 1-2 of Nine Algorithms that Changed the Future : Introduction and Indexing Algorithm

The Nine Algorithms book is available from the Chemeketa bookstore, Amazon, VitalSource, etc...

Computing Fields & Careers

Read Computing Related Fields (Ch 1) in Welcome To CS. (Welcome to CS is a free etext.)

Here at Chemeketa here is how you get started in the various computing fields:

If you are interested in CS or SE, the CS department is your starting point.
If you are interested in CE you should check out the Engineering Department.
If you are interested in a technical focused IT or IS degree, you should look at the CIS Department.
If you are interested in cybersecurity, you probably want to check out the CIS Department's cybersecurity program unless you are interested in a very code oriented cybersecurity degree (reverse engineering, malware analysis) in which case a CS degree may make sense.

OPTIONAL: You may also want to browse through these sites for more information on various computing career opportunities and the associated educational requirements:

Programming

Do the following assignments based on Programming chapters from Welcome to CS.

Ch 13 - Completion
Ch 14 - Reading - Stop when you hit the Chapter Summary

Reading assignments are graded for attempting all of the interactive elements on the pages in the chapter. (All the pages up to the chapter summary.) Think of them as your chance to go through the material and try everything. After each reading assignment there will be some time to get help if you need it before the completion assignment is due.

Completion assignments are graded for correctly completing particular problems from a chapter. Most of the problems you already will have tried in the Reading assignment for that chapter, though you will also usually have a few new problems from the Exercises page at the end of the chapter.

Make sure you are logged into the book so your work is saved and you get credit!

Your grade on programming assignments won't instantly show up in Canvas. The gradebooks in Welcome to CS and Canvas need to be manually synced. I do that about once per week.

This video shows how to make sure you are logged into the book and how to track your progress on assignments:

History of Computing

Read History of Computing (Ch 2) of Welcome To CS.

Optional Extras

An interesting "behind the scenes" stories about the birth of computing and where it may head in the future from famed inventor George Dyson:

Week 2

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe the difference between analog and binary, bits and bytes
Do conversions between binary and decimal number systems.
Explain how the PageRank algorithm works
Write Python code to do simple computation with numbers and strings

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

In class:

Bits and Binary Overview
Introduce Impacts of Computing
Work on programming

Independent:

Binary and Bits Readings
Number Systems & Binary readings
BinaryPractice Worksheet
Programming - Complete Ch 14
Programming - Ch 15 Reading

Second Class Meeting

In class:

PageRank Activity
Work on programming

Independent:

Algorithm of the Week Reading
Do written assignment
Programming - Complete Ch 15
Programming - Ch 16 Reading

Programming

Do the following assignments based on Programming chapters from Welcome To CS. Completion assignments are graded for accuracy. Reading assignments are graded for attempting all of the interactive elements on the assigned pages.

Ch 14 - Completion
Ch 15 - Reading & Completion
Ch 16 - Reading - Stop when you hit the Chapter Summary

Make sure you are logged into the book so your work is saved and you get credit. The surest way to make sure you are logged in is to start the programming assignment by clicking on the button in the corresponding assignment in Elearn.

Binary and Bits

Read Ch 3 - Binary and Bits of Welcome To CS.

Number Systems & Binary

Read Ch 4.1-4.3 of Welcome To CS. This is the first three sections of Data Representation.

Do the BinaryPractice worksheet. You can find it, and all future worksheets, in the Files area in elearn. You can find a key for the worksheet there as well.

Worksheets like this are provided so you can practice the material and verify that you understand it before doing the written assignment. You will not turn the worksheets in. Do the problems and use the key to check your own work.

If you have questions about any of the problems on a worksheet, ask about them!

Algorithm of the Week: PageRank

Read Chapter 3 of Nine Algorithms that Changed the Future.
Try out a PageRank simulator (you will need to use this for your assignment).
You can find a worksheet called PageRankPractice and a key for it in the Files area of Canvas. It has a couple of problems you can use to test your understanding of how PageRank works.

Impacts of Computing

As we explore various algorithms and the technologies they power, it is important to consider the effects of these new technologies. Read the first two pages of Ch12 - Impacts of Computing in Welcome To CS.

This week's assignment will ask you to read an article online about a computational technology and to analyze its impacts. The last two pages in the Impacts of Computing chapter are samples of what we are looking for.

Optional Extras

Program or be Programmed - What does it mean not to know how programming works in the modern world?

Google Search - other tricks google uses to rank pages:

Week 3

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Perform simple math on unsigned binary numbers.
Describe how binary values can be used to represent non-numeric data like text (ASCII) and images
Perform conversion from hexadecimal (base 16) to and from binary.
Calculate values using modulo (or clock) arithmetic
Describe how two people can use the Diffie–Hellman algorithm to generate a shared secret without exchanging secret messages.
Write simple Turtle programs in Python
Use procedures to reuse Python code and form abstractions

Quiz 1 is open this Thurs-Saturday

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

Binary Math
Data Representation
Work on programming

Independent:

Binary and Data Representation readings
ASCIIHex Worksheet
Programming - Complete Ch 16
Programming - Ch 17 Reading

Second Class Meeting

Algorithm of the Week Activity
Work on programming

Independent:

Algorithm of the Week reading
Programming - Complete Ch 17
Programming - Ch 18 Reading

Programming

Ch 16 - Completion
Ch 17 - Reading & Completion
Ch 18 - Reading - Stop when you hit the Chapter Summary

Binary Math

Read sections 4.4 and 4.5 in Welcome To CS.

Representing Other Data

Read about ASCII representation of text and about how images can be represented in sections 4.9 to 4.10 of Welcome To CS.
Read about Hexadecimal and hex color codes: sections 4.11 to 4.12 of Welcome To CS.
Do the ASCIIHex worksheet. (Class Files link in elearn)

Algorithm of the Week: Private Key Cryptography

Read Ch 4 of Nine Algorithms the Changed the Future
Check out the Diffie–Hellman supplement. It has tips on how to doing clock arithmetic and a cool interactive version of the algorithm that can help you understand who knows what information as the computations are performed.

Optional Extras

The Introduction to Cryptography on Khan Academy is great if you want to learn more about cryptography and the related math.

Do you want to see the bits from a real image? Or any other file on your hard drive? Programs called Hex Editors allow you to see the raw information in a file and modify it. You can google "hex editor windows" or "hex editor mac" if you want to try one out.

If you are interested in how negative numbers and decimals are represented using bits, read Welcome to CS 4.6-4.8. You can also try these videos for extra insight:

Week 4

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Identify and evaluate the basic Boolean logic rules.
Predict output of a simple logic circuit
Describe how asymmetric (public key) cryptography can be used to either authenticate a message or send a private message
Identify how certificate authorities provide a basis for trust on the internet
Design a simple program via decomposition
Write Python function that returns results of a calculation

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

Logic and Circuits
Work on programming

Independent:

BooleanLogic and Circuits readings
Boolean & Circuit Worksheet
Programming - Complete Ch 18
Programming - Ch 19 Reading

Second Class Meeting

Algorithm of the Week - Public Key Encryption
Work on programming

Independent:

Algorithm of the Week reading
Programming - Complete Ch 19
Programming - Ch 20 Reading

Programming

Ch 18 - Completion
Ch 19 - Reading & Completion
Ch 20 - Reading - Stop when you hit the Chapter Summary

Boolean Logic

Read about boolean logic rules in the Logic Gates & Circuit (Ch5.1-5.4) in Welcome To CS.
Do the short Boolean Practice worksheet (Class files link in elearn).

Circuits

Read Logic Gates & Circuit (Ch5.5-5.8) in Welcome To CS. Don't panic about memorizing the details in 5.7 and 5.8. They are examples of how circuits do "real" work in a computer that you should check out, but you are not responsible for knowing them.
Do the CircuitPractice worksheet. You can use this the Circuit Playground from Welcome to CS to build and test the circuits on the worksheet. This video shows how to do so:
Optional This video does a good job of tying together bits, binary, logic and circuits. If you are still feeling a little fuzzy on how bits and gates and circuits all tie together, I highly recommend checking it out. Don't stress the details from minutes 7-10, just focus on the big picture of how circuits manipulate on/off values to do math in a computer.

Algorithm of the Week: Public Key Encryption

Read these pages on Authentication & Public Key Encryption (Make sure to read all the way through until the page titled RSA). They are a replacement for Ch 9 in Nine Algorithms.
Optional: Read Ch 9 of Nine Algorithms book. It covers similar ground to the reading above.
However, Nine Algorithms chapter has a slightly different focus - feel free to read it as a second perspective on this week's topic.

Optional Extras

Building a computer's logic gates with dominoes:

Bitcoin is a digital currency that uses public/private key technology to sign transactions so that they can be verified by everyone using Bitcoins. This video explains how it works:

Week 5

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Discuss and describe the major components of a CPU and their purpose, and the fundamental machine execution cycle (fetch-decode-execute)
Trace the execution of and write simplified machine code programs
Describe and perform common error detection and correction tricks used by computers
Use loops to build programs that create or modify images

Quiz 2 is open this Thurs-Saturday

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

Machine Architecture & The Little Computer sections
Work on Programming

Independent:

Little Computer worksheet 1
Programming - Complete Ch 20
Programming - Ch 21 Reading

Second Class Meeting

Algorithm of the Week activity - Error detection and correction
Work on Programming

Independent:

Algorithm of the Week reading
Programming - Complete Ch 21
Programming - Ch 22 Reading

Programming

Ch 20 - Completion
Ch 21 - Reading & Completion
Ch 22 - Reading - Stop when you hit the Chapter Summary

Machine Architecture & the Machine Cycle

Read about the major components of a CPU and the machine cycle: Chapter 6 of the computing section of Welcome To CS.
Optional This video is a good secondary source. The first 12.5 minutes do a nice job of showing a processor at work. (From minute 12:30 until the end gets into more detail than we are going to worry about, but you may find it interesting.)

Machine Code and the Little Computer

Read Ch 7.1 - Machine Language in Welcome To CS. Just the one page this links to, not all of the Programming Languages chapter
Rather than try to work with real machine language, we are going to use something called the Little Computer to see what a program is like at this level. Read Ch 7.2 about the Little Computer in Welcome to CS. (Just one page - there is more about the Little Computer that we will tackle next week.)
Do the practice problems from LC Worksheet 1 (Files area in elearn). You will need to make use of this Little Computer simulator

Algorithm of the Week: Error Detection & Correction

Read Ch 5 of Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future
Optional Check out the algorithms that allow for checking credit card numbers and ISBN numbers in books.

Week 6

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe the goals of higher level programming languages and how they relate to machine code
Uses branches in the Little Computer to make decisions
Use conditionals in Python

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

Little Computer Assembly and Branching
High level programming
Work on Programming

Independent:

Little Computer Assembly & Branch worksheets
Programming - Complete Ch 22
Programming - Ch 23 Reading

Second Class Meeting

Algorithm of the Week - Compression
Work on Programming

Independent:

Algorithm of the Week reading
Programming - Complete Ch 23
Programming - Ch 24 Reading

Programming

Ch 22 - Completion
Ch 23 - Reading & Completion
Ch 24 - Reading - Stop when you hit the Chapter Summary

Assembly & The Little Computer

Read about what an assembly language is and how to write assembly for the Little Computer: Ch 7.4-7.5 in Welcome To CS.
Do LC Assembly Worksheet (Class Files link in elearn)
You will need to make use of this Little Computer Assembler

Little Computer Branching

Last week, we saw how a simple computer would process information and use its memory. This week, we will look at how it could use branch instructions to allow us to say things like "if the number is positive, do this, otherwise do that" and "go back to instruction 4"

Read Ch 7.3 on the Little Computer in Welcome To CS to learn about the branch instructions.
Do LC Branching Worksheet (Class Files link in elearn)
You will need to make use of this Little Computer simulator

Higher Level Programming Languages

Read the rest of Ch 7 in Welcome to CS. It describes how the higher level programming languages (like the Python you are learning) relate to assembly and machine language.

Algorithm of the Week: Data Compression

Read Ch 7 of Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future
Read this Data Compression supplement. It demonstrates how to build a Huffman code - a version of the Shortest Symbol trick from Nine Algorithms.
Do the compression practice worksheet (Class Files in elearn)

Optional Extras

How big-data and computation are transforming medicine:

Week 7

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe the requirements of an algorithm
Execute basic searching and sorting algorithms by hand
Conduct a "best first" heuristic search of a graph
Use logical operators to express complex conditions

Quiz 3 is open this Thurs-Saturday. It covers the materials from weeks 5 and 6.

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

Searching and Sorting Algorithms
Work on Programming

Independent:

Search and Sort Worksheet
Programming - Complete Ch 24
Programming - Ch 25 Reading

Second Class Meeting

Algorithm of the Week - AI Search
Work on Programming

Independent:

AI Search Worksheet
Programming - Complete Ch 25
Programming - Ch 26 Reading

Programming

Ch 24 - Completion
Ch 25 - Reading & Completion
Ch 26 - Reading - Stop when you hit the Chapter Summary

Basic Searching And Sorting Algorithms

Searching and sorting are two fundamental tasks that any program dealing with lists of data generally needs to do. We will be studying some algorithms for accomplishing these tasks this week. Next week we will use these algorithms as the basis to learn about how we compare the efficiencies of algorithms.

Start by reading Ch 8.1-8.8 (Algorithms) in Welcome to CS.(Stop when you hit Efficiency - 8.9)
Do the SearchAndSort worksheet. See the SortExamples document for examples of how to properly do the sorts. (Class Files in elearn)
Optional: These videos on how Selection and Insertion sort work might be handy:

Algorithm of the Week: AI Search

This is NOT in Nine Algorithms. We will resume working out if it next week.

Read these pages on Search and AI.
Do the AISearchPractice worksheet.

Optional Extras

Insertion Sort, the new dance craze:

Week 8

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Rank common classes of algorithm based on relative complexity
Identify what class the basic search and sort algorithms fall into
Identify pattern recognition algorithms and predict the behavior of simple decision trees and neural networks
Write code that uses lists store data, loops through lists, and manipulates them

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

Algorithmic Efficiency
Work on Programming

Independent:

Efficiency Worksheet
Programming - Complete Ch 26
Programming - Ch 27 Reading

Second Class Meeting

Algorithm of the Week - Pattern Recognition & Machine Learning
Work on Programming

Independent:

Pattern Recognition Worksheet
Programming - Complete Ch 27
Programming - Ch 28 Reading

Programming

Ch 26 - Completion
Ch 27 - Reading & Completion
Ch 28 - Reading - Stop when you hit the Chapter Summary

Algorithmic Efficiency

This week we are looking at how typically measure the efficiency of algorithms. The algorithms we studied last week will be the main focus of our study.

Read the Ch 8.9-8.14 (Algorithms) in Welcome to CS. (Stop when you hit 8.15 - Merging)
Do the Efficiency Worksheet

Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning

Read Ch 6 of The Nine Algorithms book.

Read this Pattern Recognition supplement
Do the PatternRecognitionPractice practice worksheet

Optional Extras

One of the more famous recent examples of machine learning is Chat-GPT. How is something like Chat-GPT trained? This video explains:

Machine learning has also been put to use to train computers to do more trivial things... like play Super Mario:

Closed captioned version of the video

Week 9

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Discuss and describe the jobs of an operating system and the major resources it handles
Explain the advantages and challenges of parallel processing
Describe how databases are designed to maintain consistency in the face of failures and concurrent changes
Write simple SQL queries

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

Operating Systems and Parallel Processing

Independent:

Programming - Complete Ch 28
Programming - Ch 29 Reading

Second Class Meeting

Algorithm of the Week - Databases

Independent:

Programming - Complete Ch 29

Programming

Ch 28 - Completion
Ch 29 - Reading & Completion

Operating Systems

Read the Operating Systems chapter in Welcome to CS. (Stop when you hit 8.15 - Merging)
Optional: This video reinforces the big ideas of the reading:

Parallel Processing

Read about Parallel Processing in Welcome To CS

Algorithm of the Week: Databases & Consistency

I recommend you start with these videos that cover what a Database is and how they work. (Also covreded in the reading, but less clearly.)

Read Ch 8 of Nine Algorithms book. You can skip the entire section titled The Prepare-Then-Commit Trick For Replicated Databases. (Start reading again at Relational Databases And The Virtual Table Trick).

Optional Extras

Video cards (GPUs) are different than CPUs because they are optimized for parallel processing. They are designed to process hundreds or thousands of similar jobs at the same time. Traditionally, they were mostly used for graphics. But they are also good at the kinds of tasks that machine learning requires. This video explains more:

Week 10

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Learning objectives

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe what quantum computing is and why we are interested in it
Argue why some problems cannot be solved by an algorithm
Write python code to do simple data processing

Quiz 4 is open this Thurs-Saturday

Class Schedule

First Class Meeting

Future of Computing

Independent:

Programming - Ch 31 Reading (We are skipping Chapter 30!)

Second Class Meeting

Algorithm of the Week - Computability

Independent:

Programming - Complete Ch 31

Programming

Ch 31 - Reading & Completion (We are skipping Chapter 30!)

Future of Computing

Read Welcome to CS Ch 11 on the Limits and Future of Computing. It discusses the algorithmic and engineering limitations computation faces, as well as one possible future technology: quantum computing.
Optional: A more detailed description of how quantum computing works.

Algorithm of the Week: Computability

Read Ch 10 of Nine Algorithms book. It explores the idea of computability and how we know some things are uncomputable (and have since before there were computers!).

This Computability supplement has a video that briefly recaps the halting problem and has an optional video with more information about Turing machines.

Finals Week Prep

The final is cumulative. If you want to get a head start on studying, the best thing to do is go back and review the earlier quizzes and assignments.

Finals Week

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Finals Week Reminders

Assignment 10 due Monday night - will be scored by Tuesday
Final will be open Wednesday morning through Thursday night
I will be available during scheduled final time for extra office hours
Please do the CS Course Exit Survey