CSIS 10 BASIC Programming: Winter (January) 2009

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 Phone: 782-0863 (use e-mail). 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: This January 2009 section of this class is an online class only, with NO lectures.

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 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 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 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. This web address has QBasic available for downloading: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/5967/qbasic.html. This version of QBasic does not work with a mouse. You need to use the arrow buttons and the letter of the command. We have a better 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
Last revised on July 13, 2008.