CSIS 10 BASIC
Programming: Summer (June) 2013
Catalog Description: This course is an
introduction to programming using BASIC. No previous programming background is
assumed. This is a good class for those new to programming and recommended for non-programmers
that want to take other programming classes. This course has the option of a
letter grade or credit/no credit. UNITS 2.0. Advisory:
CSIS 124 and CSIS 126.
Transferable: UC, CSU.
End
of catalog description.
Immediately,
AFTER YOU SIGN UP for this class send me e-mail, so I can send you
instructions.
Instructor: Dennie Van Tassel
E-mail: dvantassel @ gavilan.edu
Assignment sheet: If you sign up for the
class and tell me, I can e-mail you the assignment sheet for the class so you
can start early, but I will not send you the assignment sheet until you
sign up for the class.
Campus web address: http://www.gavilan.edu
The
web site is good place to look for a wide variety of information, such as
college catalog, course description, phone numbers, etc.
Class Hours:
The Summer version of this class has normal lectures, Monday/Wednesday/Thursday 7:00 PM.
But you can also take it in online format
since the Web is used to provide homework assignments and collect homework. But you can also take it in online format
since the Web is used to provide homework assignments and collect homework.
Office Hours: Will be announced in class The lab is available for you to work during that time. There
are computers available at all 3 sites that you can use for doing homework.
Instructor class
description:
This
class is a beginning programming class. You should be able to learn
programming. The class requires several hours of work each week out side of
class.
Student Responsibilities: Log into the class several times a week.
Read the text. You need to spend several hours EVERY week on this class. If
you disappear AND stop working on this class, I may drop you.
Texts & Materials: QBASIC Fundamentals and Style by
James Quasney, et. al, Course Technology, Second Edition, 2001, (ISBN
0-619-01625-6). Other OK editions: QBasic
Fundamentals and Style with an Introduction to Visual Basic, by Quasney, et al, ISBN:
0-789-50021-3, 1995; QBasic Using
Subprograms, 2nd Edition, by Quasney, et al, ISBN: 0-760-05099-6, 1997.
You can obtain the book cheaply at online vendors, such as www.amazon.com.
You cannot take this class
with out the textbook since I give you assignments out of the book. There are
older editions of this book (first edition) and you can use an older edition,
if you want to save some money.
The college bookstore may
not have the book, so you will need to order it from: www.amazon.com or www.half.com. You can check to see if the
bookstore has it at:
"http://www.gavilan.edu/bookstore/index.html".
You also need a disk or flash drive to save your work each week, especially if you plan to
work at home and in the lab.
The book is available for
very cheap from http://www.amazon.com or
http://www.half.com. You can also use a free comparison shopping website for textbooks: www.CampusBooks.com
which looks for your book at several different book sources. You need the textbook the first day of the course, so if you plan to
order it using the Internet, you need to do it 2 weeks BEFORE the class starts,
or pay for express shipping.
You can save yourself a lot of wasted time and learn
a lot more if you read the textbook. Read
the first 2 chapters of the book the first week. For example, on page 12 of the
textbook they tell you how you can obtain QBasic, and then you can put it on
your computer at home.
====
There are many versions of QBasic available on the Web, but I have no idea how
to determine which are safe.
One Web site that might be good to use is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QBasic.
On that page, they have a link: Download QBASIC 1.1 from Microsoft, that might be good place to start.
We have
a good version of QBasic at the college lab which we can help you obtain.
The Resources section of this course has a section
on Software that gives you more information about obtain a BASIC compiler. If
you come to class and bring a flash drive or disk, I can help you download the
free QBasic compiler.
This is a class for beginners, but you will need
some basic skills in text editing and operating system use such as opening and
saving files. You can probably learn most of the windows basics in the class.
You do not need a computer at home to do this class,
but you can do homework outside class on other computers. You can do your work
at home on a Macintosh or PC, but this lab can not read disks that are
formatted for a Macintosh. You can use the campus PCs after or before class.
Attend class: Do not get behind in the
class. The class is accumulative. What you learn this week will be used to do
the work next week. If you miss classes you will soon be lost. You need to do homework EACH week.
Course Learning Outcomes
The
student will create, execute, and test BASIC programs using calculations and
decision statements. The student will create, execute, and test BASIC programs
using loops, arrays, and pointers. The student will create, execute, and test
BASIC programs using functions. The student will create, execute, and test
BASIC programs using standard input/output, character I/O and file I/O. The
student will evaluate and select the best programming method to solve problems.
Grading: This course has Credit/No
Credit Option. You will normally get a grade in the class, but if you fill out
a Credit/No Credit petition before 1/3 of the class has passed, you can take
the class for credit/no credit. Petitions are available at the office or registrar.
Please tell me if you do request a Credit/No Credit Option. In order to get a
Credit, you need to earn at least a C grade.
If you want or need a good grade because you want to
transfer to a 4-year school, are on academic probation, want a scholarship, or
just want good grades do the work
for a good grade. Don’t bother telling me you need a good grade the last week
if you have not done the work for a good grade.
Incompletes: I seldom give incompletes
and never give them just because you have not done the work. Almost no one ever
finishes an Incomplete. Occasionally, people that have been doing the class
work have severe family or personal problems and I do give them an Incomplete.
Drops: If you stop attending class,
you must fill out a class drop form or you will get an F grade in the class.
This does not do you, me, or the school any good. So if you stop taking the
class, drop it at the A&R
office.
Special needs: If you have special needs
such as hearing problem, visual problems, or other needs, please tell me after
class and I will try to assist you.
After all that, this is a fun class. You will learn
a lot that will help you in your other classes and help you obtain useful job
skills.
I am interested in suggestions about assignments,
lectures, material covered.
We are very interested in suggestions for new
classes. If you have any classes you would like Gavilan College to consider,
give you suggestion to the instructor.
If you are having trouble using the computer for
this class, you may want to take CSIS 124 Windows Fundamentals and CSIS 126
Word Processing. Both classes would help you gain the knowledge that we assume
you have prior to taking this class.
If you are having trouble doing the math needed to
solve the problems in the programming exercises, then you should take Math 205,
Elementary Algebra. We have noticed that one common reason students do not
succeed in programming classes is the lack of math skills need to write
programming algorithms.
Thank you for taking the class and I hope the class
is fun and useful.
Next classes: If you want to continue
with your programming training, I suggest you take either CSIS 45 C++
Programming or CSIS 51 Visual Basic Programming I.
Address of this page:
http://hhh.gavilan.edu/dvantassel/csis10/csis10.html
Please feel free to send us your comments and questions.
Send e-mail messages to Dennie Van
Tassel at dvantassel @ gavilan.edu
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