CSC 121: Computers and Scientific Thinking
Fall 2009



Section B: Tentative Schedule (Mon-Wed)

Date Topic Readings Hand-in
Aug 26
Course overview.  
31
Sep 2
Computer basics. (ppt/ pdf)
History of science & computing. (ppt/ pdf)
CB 1
CB 3, online
email
email
7
9
LABOR DAY - NO CLASS
LAB 1
 
14
16
Creating a Web page:
    HTML, links, images, lists, tables.
HO 2
 
 
LAB 1
21
23
Web & Internet History. (ppt/ pdf)
Dynamic Web pages:
CB 2
HO 4
email
HO 2
28
30
    dynamic elements, user interaction, calculations.
Applications in biology. (ppt/ pdf)
 
online, online
 
email
Oct 5
7
Problem solving & algorithms. (ppt/ pdf)
TEST 1
CB 4
 
email, HO 4
 
12
14
User Interaction & Computation:
    text boxes, numbers, expressions.
HO 5
 
 
 
19
21
FALL BREAK - NO CLASS
26
28
    numbers, expressions.
Computer science as a discipline. (ppt/ pdf)
 
CB 5
 
email
Nov 2
4
Functions and randomness:
    predefined functions, Math.random,
HO 7
 
HO 5
 
9
11
    user-defined functions, random elements.
LAB 3
 
 
 
HO 7
16
18
TEST 2
Applications in artificial intelligence. (ppt/ pdf)
 
online, online
 
LAB 3
23
25
Data Representation. (ppt/ pdf)
THANKSGIVING BREAK - NO CLASS
CB 6
 
email
 
30
Dec 2
Conditional execution.
LAB 4
HO 11
online
 
 
7
9
Computers in Society. (ppt/ pdf)
review
CB 9
 
email
HO 11, LAB 4
Dec 15
FINAL EXAM    Tue, 10:00-11:40
CB: Custom Book chapter; HO: Handout chapter