Syllabus

CS 1101: PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS

Syllabus

Prerequisites: None

Course Description:

This course covers the basics of computer programming and provides a foundation for further
learning in this area. No previous computer programming knowledge is required to finish this course.
The course uses the Python programming language which is very simple and straightforward. The
course also covers abstract concepts which can be applied to almost any programming language,
and students are encouraged to pay attention to these, since the way of thinking like a programmer
is the most valuable lesson they will learn.

Required Textbook and Materials:

UoPeople courses use open educational resources (OER) and other materials specifically donated
to the University with free permissions for educational use. Therefore, students are not required to
purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them. The main
required textbooks for this course are listed below, and can be readily accessed using the provided
links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other
resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course's General
Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the
Learning Guides.
 Downey, A. (2015). Think Python: How to think like a computer scientist. Green Tea Press. This
book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC
3.0). Download the PDF here.

Software Requirements/Installation:

For your assignments, you must download and install the appropriate Python interpreter for your
computer and operating system. Versions of the software are available for Windows (XP, Vista,
Windows7), Linux distributions, and Mac OS. Most popular distributions of Linux will either include
Python or will provide an installation option for it in the software management utility.

You can find available downloads for Python v3 at the following URL: Python software Foundation.
(2019). Download Python. http://www.python.org/download/
Installation is relatively straightforward. Follow the prompts when installing. Further information is
available in the documentation section located here: Python Software Foundation. (2020). Python
3.8.1 documentation. https://docs.python.org/3/.
Instructions to install and configure Python can be found in the Python setup and usage section of
this page.
Additional Resources:

 WisdomJobs. (2018). IDLE - Python. https://www.wisdomjobs.com/e-university/python-tutorial-

176/idle-8842.html
 Pythonanywhere. (n.d.). Host, run, and code Python in the
cloud. https://www.pythonanywhere.com/

Note: the PythonAnywhere website above is a good alternative for Python programming. You can
get a free account with just your email address. Please make sure that you use Python 3.x (not 2.x).

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Implement code using fundamental programming concepts, language constructs

and procedural programming approaches.
2. Develop programs using the Python programming language to solve programming problems.
3. Independently research programming languages and apply new programming language
features.
Course Schedule and Topics:

This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The
Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople time).

Week 1: Unit 1 - Introduction and Fundamental Concepts

Week 2: Unit 2 -Variables, Expressions, Statements, and Functions

Week 3: Unit 3 - Conditionals and Recursion

Week 4: Unit 4 - Functions and Return Values

Week 5: Unit 5- Iteration and Strings

Week 6: Unit 6 - Lists

Week 7: Unit 7 - Dictionaries and Tuples

Week 8: Unit 8 - Files

Week 9: Unit 9 -Final Exam

Learning Guide:

The following is an outline of how this course will be conducted, with suggested best practices for
students.

Unit 1: Introduction and Fundamental Concepts

 Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.

 Download and install a working Python 3 environment (not required for PythonAnywhere users).
Refer to the Software Requirements/Installation section of the Syllabus.
 Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum.
 Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
 Complete an entry in the Learning Journal.
 Take the Self-Quiz.
Unit 2: Variables, Expressions, Statements, and Functions

 Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.

 Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum.
 Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
 Complete and submit the Programming Assignment.
 Complete an entry in the Learning Journal.
 Take the Self-Quiz.

Unit 3: Conditionals and Recursion

 Peer-assess Unit 2 Programming Assignment.

 Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
 Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum.
 Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
 Complete an entry in the Learning Journal.
 Take the Self-Quiz.
 Take the Graded Quiz.

Unit 4: Functions and Return Values

 Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.

 Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum.
 Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
 Complete and submit the Programming Assignment.
 Complete an entry in the Learning Journal.
 Take the Self-Quiz.

Unit 5: Iteration and Strings

 Peer-assess Unit 4 Programming Assignment.

 Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
 Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum.
 Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
 Complete and submit the Programming Assignment.
 Complete an entry in the Learning Journal.
 Take the Self-Quiz.

Unit 6: Lists

 Peer-assess Unit 5 Programming Assignment.

 Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.
 Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum.
 Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
 Complete an entry in the Learning Journal.
 Take the Self-Quiz.
 Take the Graded Quiz.

Unit 7: Dictionaries and Tuples

 Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment.

 Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum.
 Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
 Complete and submit the Programming Assignment.
 Complete an entry in the Learning Journal.
 Take the Self-Quiz.

Unit 8: Files

 Peer assess Unit 7 Programming Assignment

 Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
 Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum.
 Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum.
 Complete an entry in the Learning Journal.
 Read the Unit 9 Learning Guide carefully for instructions on the Final Exam.
 Take the Self-Quiz.
 Take the Review Quiz.
 Complete and submit the anonymous Course Evaluation.

Unit 9: Course Review and Final Exam

 Read the Learning Guide and take the Review Quiz, if you haven't already done so
 Prepare for, take, and submit the Final Exam
 The Final Exam will take place during the Thursday and Sunday of Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople
time); exact dates, times, and other details will be provided accordingly by your instructor

Course Requirements:

Programming Assignments
Some units in this course require that you complete a programming assignment. For each
programming assignment, you must develop the required program and submit by the required due
date. Your submission must include the code of your program and description of the results obtained
when running the program. You are required to submit your assignments by the indicated deadlines
and, in addition, to peer assess three (3) of your classmates’ assignments according to the
instructions found in the Assessment Form, which is provided to you during the following week.
During this peer assessment period, you are expected to provide details in the feedback section of
the Assessment Form, indicating why you awarded the grade that you did to your peer. Failure to
submit Written Assignments and/or Assessment Forms may result in failure of the course.
Discussion Assignments & Response Posts/Ratings
Some units in this course require that you complete a Discussion Assignment. You are required to
develop and post a substantive response to the Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. A
substantive response is one that fully answers the question that has been posed by the instructor. In
addition, you must extend the discussion by responding to at least three (3) of your peers’ postings
in the Discussion Forum and by rating their posts. Instructions for proper posting and rating are
provided inside the Discussion Forum for each week. Discussion Forums are only active for each
current and relevant learning week, so it is not possible to contribute to the forum once the learning
week has come to an end. Failure to participate in the Discussion Assignment by posting in the
Discussion Forum and responding to peers as required may result in failure of the course.
Learning Journal
Your instructor may choose to assign specific topics and/or relevant questions as a weekly Learning
Journal entry for you to complete, but you are still encouraged to also use it to document your
activities, record questions/problems you may have encountered, reflect on the learning process,
and draft answers for other course assignments. The Learning Journal must be updated on a weekly
basis because its entries will be assessed by your instructor directly as a part of your final grade.
The Learning Journal will only be seen by your instructor.
Quizzes
This course will contain three types of quizzes – Self-Quizzes, Graded Quizzes, and the Review
Quiz. These quizzes may contain multiple choice, true/false, or short answer questions. The results
of the Self-Quiz will not count towards your final grade. However, it is highly recommended that you
complete the Self-Quiz to ensure that you have adequately understood the course materials. Along
with the Reading Assignments, the results of the Self-Quiz should be used as part of an iterative
learning process, to thoroughly cover and test your understanding of course material. You should
use the results of your Self-Quiz as a guide to go back and review relevant sections of the Reading
Assignments. Likewise, the Review Quiz will not count towards your final grade, but should also be
used to assist you in a comprehensive review and full understanding of all course material, in
preparation for your Final Exam. Lastly, the results of the Graded Quizzes will count towards your
final grade. Specific instructions on the format and content of the Graded Quizzes will be provided by
your instructor.
Final Exam
The Final Exam will take place during the Thursday and Sunday of Week/Unit 9, following the
completion of eight units of work. The format of the Final Exam is similar to that of the quizzes and
may contain a combination of different question types. You will have one attempt to take the exam,
and it will be graded electronically. Specific instructions on how to prepare for and take the Final
Exam will be provided during Week 8 (located inside the Unit 9 Learning Guide). Final Exams must
be taken without the use of course learning materials (both those inside and outside the course). If
particular materials are allowed for use during the exam, these will be noted in the exam’s
instructions.
Course Forum
The Course Forum is the place to raise issues and questions relating to the course. It is regularly
monitored by the instructors and is a good place to meet fellow students taking the same course.
While it is not required to participate in the Course Forum, it is highly recommended.

Course Policies:
Grading Components and Weights
Each graded component of the course will contribute some percentage to the final grading scale, as
indicated here:

Learning Journals 20%

Programming Assignments 5%
Discussion Questions 5%
Graded Quizzes (Units 3 & 6) 30% (15% each)
Final Exam 40%
TOTAL 100%
Grading Scale
This course will follow the standard 100-point grading scale defined by the University of the People,
as indicated here:

Letter Grade Grade Scale Grade Points

A+ 98-100 4.00
A 93-97 4.00
A- 90-92 3.67
B+ 88-89 3.33
B 83-87 3.00
B- 80-82 2.67
C+ 78-79 2.33
C 73-77 2.00
C- 70-72 1.67
D+ 68-69 1.33
D 63-67 1.00
D- 60-62 0.67
F Under 60 0.00

Grade Appeal
If you believe that the final grade you received for a course is erroneous, unjust, or unfair, please
contact your course instructor. This must be done within seven days of the posted final grade. For
more information on this topic, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure in the University Catalog.
Participation
Non-participation is characterized by lack of any assignment submissions, inadequate contributions
to the Discussion Forums, and/or lack of peer feedback to Discussion/Written Assignments. Also,
please note the following important points about course participation:

 Assignments must be submitted on or before the specified deadline. A course timeline is

provided in the course schedule, and the instructor will specify deadlines for each assignment.
 Any student showing non-participation for two weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) is likely
to automatically fail the course.
 Occasionally there may be a legitimate reason for submitting an assignment late. Most of the
time, late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no make-up assignments.
 All students are obligated to inform their instructor in advance of any known absences which
may result in their non-participation.

Academic Honesty and Integrity

When you submit any work that requires research and writing, it is essential to cite and reference all
source material. Failure to properly acknowledge your sources is known as “plagiarism” – which is
effectively passing off an individual’s words or ideas as your own. University of the People adheres
to a strict policy of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to comply with these guidelines may
result in sanctions by the University, including dismissal from the University or course failure. For
more information on this topic, please review the Academic Integrity Policy in the University Catalog.
Unless otherwise stated, any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style
guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely
used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several style and citation formats
required for publication in professional and academic journals. Purdue University’s Online Writing
Lab (OWL) is a free website that provides excellent information and resources for understanding and
using the APA format and style. The OWL website can be accessed here: Purdue Online Writing
Lab. (n.d.). APA style introduction. Purdue
University. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html
Code of Conduct
University of the People expects that students conduct themselves in a respectful, collaborative, and
honest manner at all times. Harassment, threatening behavior, or deliberate embarrassment of
others will not be permitted. Any conduct that interferes with the quality of the educational
experience is not allowed and may result in disciplinary action, such as course failure, probation,
suspension, or dismissal. For more information on this topic, please review the Code of Conduct
Policy in the University Catalog.

Course Overview
CS1101 is the first programming course encountered in the Computer Science program at the
University of the People. Although this course does not have the technical difficulty that will be
encountered in later computer science courses, it does introduce concepts that may be very new to
many students so it will require significant commitment and focus. It is imperative that you have
mastered the ideas, concepts, and skills that are introduced in this course as later courses will
assume that you have proficiency in these areas. As such do not just get by in this course. Make
sure that you understand ALL of the concepts and can complete ALL of the assignments. If you are
struggling with any idea, concept, or project, reach out for help to your peer and your instructor
EARLY by posting in the course forum.
This course, CS1101 is an introductory course to the computer science program. For many students,
this course will represent your first formalized exposure to the computer science discipline and field.
The recommended readings provide an excellent history of the development of computer
technology, computers, programming languages and the field of computer science in general. The
recommended readings trace the development of modern computer technology from its earliest
beginnings, through the personal computer and internet revolutions through to the recent history of
the field. These readings will provide you with a good understanding of the key innovators of the field
as well as their innovations providing a foundation for your further studies in the computer science
program.
Finally selected units throughout this course have optional video lectures. These video lectures are
not required but can be valuable to those students who have the ability to view streaming video as
they present the same material covered in the reading assignment but in the form of a video/audio
lecture that demonstrates implementing the concepts from the reading assignment. For those
students who have access to sufficient computing resources and network bandwidth, these video
lectures are highly recommended.
Expectations
This course is designed to be collaborative. Your interaction with your peers (other students in the
class) should not be focused on providing an assessment of their work, but rather to collaborate to
improve our collective understanding of the course material. As such feedback is MORE important
than assessment. You should be providing feedback in the form of explanation, assistance, best
practice sharing, and other forms of collaboration. Your instructor will be looking for these activities
and a portion of your grade will be determined based upon the level of collaboration and peer
interaction that you engage in.