15-110: Principles of Computing
Principles of Computing (15110) is a course in fundamental computing principles for students with little to no computing background. Programming constructs: sequencing, selection, iteration, and recursion. Data organization: arrays and lists. Use of abstraction in computing: data representation, computer organization, computer networks, functional decomposition, and application programming interfaces for graphics. Use of computational principles in problem-solving: divide and conquer, randomness, and concurrency. Classification of computational problems based on complexity, non-computable functions, and using heuristics to find reasonable solutions to complex problems. Social, ethical and legal issues associated with the development of new computational artifacts will also be discussed. Prerequisites: none.
Meeting Times
| Session | Instructor(s) | Time | Location |
| Lecture 1 | Kelly Rivers (krivers) | MWF 2:30-3:20pm | DH 2315 |
| Recitation A | Jonan (jseeley) and Tara (tarap) | R 9:30-10:20am | GHC 5208 |
| Recitation B | Diaj (dtoussai) and Emily (eding) | R 10:30-11:20am | GHC 5208 |
| Recitation C | Enock (emaburi) and Tina (cchou1) | R 11:30-12:20pm | GHC 5208 |
| Recitation D | Andrea (arestrad) and Connor (cclancy) | R 12:30-1:20pm | GHC 5208 |
| Recitation E | Lauren (leheller) and Mahima (mshanwar) | R 1:30-2:20pm | GHC 5208 |
| Recitation F | Neeraj (neerajsa) and Simran (skhunger) | R 2:30-3:20pm | GHC 5208 |
| Recitation G | Daniel (seungwom) and Iris (ilu1) | R 3:30-4:20pm | GHC 5208 |
| Recitation H | Claudia (cosorio) and Harshini (hmalli) | R 4:30-5:20pm | GHC 5208 |
| Lecture 2 | Stephanie Rosenthal (srosenth) | MWF 3:30-4:20pm | DH 2315 |
| Recitation I | Claire (ccheongu) and Jeff (jiaxix1) | R 9:30-10:20am | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation J | Brittney (bsidwell) and William (wxl) | R 10:30-11:20am | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation K | Alyssa (akbrandt) and Vaheeshta (vmehrsha) | R 11:30-12:20pm | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation L | Rachel (rachelt1) and Tate (tmauzy) | R 12:30-1:20pm | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation M | Pam (phyang) and Trevor (tarussel) | R 1:30-2:20pm | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation N | Rhea (rkudtar1) | R 2:30-3:20pm | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation O | Elyana (erhurst) and Phil (xiangheh) | R 3:30-4:20pm | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation P | Amanda (lianglij) and Rishabh (rishabhc) | R 4:30-5:20pm | GHC 5210 |
Office Hours
Piazza is monitored by TAs every day. This is a good place to ask short questions, and to review general questions asked by other students.
TA Hours take place in the Gates 5th Floor Teaching Commons and clusters on weekdays, and
in Gates 4303 on weekends. These are a good place to get help with the course material or homework assignments. When you have a question, sign up on the
OH Queue and a TA will come find you to help.
Instructor Hours take place in
Gates 4109 for Prof. Kelly and
GHC 6019 for Prof. Stephanie. This is a good place to ask questions directly of the instructor, or to get general course material help. Meetings with the instructors are also available by appointment.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| TA Hours | 5-8pm | None | 6-8pm | 6-8pm | 5-7pm | 12-5pm | 2-7pm |
| Instructor Hours | 9-10:30am (Stephanie) | 1-2pm (Kelly) | 1-2pm (Kelly) | 2:30-4:00pm (Stephanie) | 1-2pm (Kelly) | None | None |
Resources
- Piazza: Announcements will be made via Piazza, and it will be used for discussion and questions as well. Visit it frequently or set your preferences to send you an email whenever an announcement is made.
- OH Queue: TA Office Hours will use the OH Queue to organize student questions.
- Gradescope: Assignments will be completed and submitted through Gradescope, and feedback will be displayed there.
- Canvas: Grades will be posted on Canvas.
Grading
Students will complete six homework assignments over the course of the semester. Each homework assignment will take 2-3 weeks to complete. Students are required to complete a check-in demonstrating their completion of a portion of the assignment in the weeks before the assignments are due. In addition to homework assignments, students will also be graded on participation, and will take two midterms and a final exam.
Final Grades will be computed as follows:
- Homework check-ins: 16% (8 x 2% each)
- Homework assignments: 36% (6 x 6% each)
- Exams: 45% (3 x 15% each)
- Participation: 3%
Health and Wellness
Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress. All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings of anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Contact the Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) office at 412-268-2922 and visit their website at
http://www.cmu.edu/counseling for more information.
If you or someone you know is in danger of self-harm, please call someone immediately, day or night:
CaPS: 412-268-2922
Re:solve Crisis Network: 888-796-8226
CMU Police: On-Campus 412-268-2323, Off-Campus 911