Syllabus

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Description

Learning
Objectives

• Computationally solve problems in Python using:
  • sequential, conditional, and loop statements
  • strings, lists, tuples, sets, and dictionaries
  • objects and classes
  • recursion
  • interactive graphics
• Analyze code through code tracing to deduce the output of small programs
• Recognize patterns to identify possible solutions to a given problem
• Construct code using top-down design by breaking problems into smaller steps
• Apply debugging techniques to find and fix errors
• Design and implement a substantial program in Python with minimal guidance

Topic List
and Schedule

Schedule
of Classes

• Attend Your Recitation: Check SIO to confirm your assigned lecture and recitation sections.
• Lecture Attendance: Lecture attendance and participation (in your assigned section) is required. Multiple unexcused absences or missed in-class activities will negatively affect your semester grade. If you must miss a lecture due to circumstances beyond your control (eg, if you have an illness), fill out the excused absence/extension request form, located on the 112 Forms page prior to your assigned lecture.
• Recitation Attendance: You must attend your assigned Wednesday recitation, and Friday recitation on days that it is required. Multiple unexcused absences will affect your grade. If you must miss a recitation, email your recitation TAs beforehand and fill out the excused absence/extension request form, located on the 112 Forms page
  • Wednesday: See chart below for location
  • Friday: Go to the GHC 5th floor computer cluster rooms
• Unless otherwise announced via Ed-Discussion (the class Q&A forum), all events are in-person only and not recorded.
• Unless otherwise stated, all times in all course-related documents and correspondence will be in Pittsburgh time (ET).

Office Hours
and Course
Resources

• The course notes are on the CMU CS Academy webpage, linked from the schedule. You are required to carefully read them in their entirety, to carefully complete the checkpoints in them, and to carefully watch any videos they contain (including videos in guided exercises).
• We may provide additional notes on the course schedule. These are optional, but you may find them helpful.

Times and locations are subject to change. See Ed-Discussion (the class Q&A forum) for any changes.

Instructor	Day	Time	Location
Mike	Mon	12:30pm - 2:30pm	GHC 4126
David	Tue	12:30pm - 1:30pm and 3:45pm - 4:45pm	GHC 5001
Mike	Wed	12:30pm - 2:30pm	GHC 4126
David	Thu	12:30pm - 1:30pm and 3:45pm - 4:45pm	GHC 5001

• These are open (not private) office hours, and discussions may include everyone in attendance. For specific homework and debugging help, please attend your TA's study sessions and/or use Ed-Discussion (the class Q&A forum) and OH instead.

Day	Time	Location
Mon	5pm - 8:30pm	GHC 5th floor commons
Tue	7pm - 8:45pm	GHC 5th floor commons
Wed	7pm - 8:45pm	GHC 5th floor commons
Thu	7pm - 8:45pm	GHC 5th floor commons
Fri	5pm - 8:30pm	GHC 5th floor commons
Sat	2:45pm - 8pm	GHC 5th floor commons
Sun	3pm - 6:30pm	GHC 5th floor commons

• TA office hours let you ask conceptual questions and to get some debugging help from TAs. During TA OH, use the OH Queue to sign up for help. OH Queue is used only for TA office hours. When you join the queue, please prepare to ask your question as efficiently as possible. During busy TA OH, to provide the fairest help to the most students, TAs can only spend five minutes with each student. Additionally, you must wait 15 minutes before re-adding yourself to the queue. This is meant to both reduce wait times and to encourage you to ask specific, thoughtful, effective questions.

• Ed-Discussion is an excellent resource when used judiciously.
  • Think first before posting. Try to solve your problem on your own. If you cannot, then at least try to provide some thoughtful insights into the problem.
  • Do not ask too many questions. Our TAs are amazing, but still, they are a limited resource. Try to keep your Ed questions to no more than 5 per week.
  • Conversely, do not ask too few questions. Use Ed as the wonderful resource that it is, so you can be the most effective learner possible.
  • Be reasonable about our response times. We will do our best to keep response times low, though at peak times, and also in the middle of the night, response times will be longer.
• You are responsible for carefully reading all of the content in all instructor posts on Ed-Discussion.
• You may also use Ed-Discussion to ask questions, but you must carefully read our Ed-Discussion posts and guidelines first. For example, any questions related to the homework must be private to you and the staff only and not anonymous (ie, use the default settings).
• Note: If you need to get in touch with only the faculty, or a specific TA, email (using your andrew id) is best. Ed-Discussion is great for questions that are visible to all TAs since you will get the fastest response that way.

• To schedule a 1-on-1 meeting with the course faculty, please email either one of us with your full availability over the next few days (both over zoom and in person). The more times you provide, the more likely we can accommodate your request.
• Given the size of the course, please only request private meetings specifically for issues that are not appropriate for open faculty OH, and which cannot be handled via Ed-Discussion (the class Q&A forum), TA office hours, or email.

• Due to the size of the course, we are not able to generally satisfy requests for one-on-one tutoring. However, the Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers additional resources and tutoring for 15-112. Appointments for one-on-one tutoring can be booked here. Drop-in tutoring location, day, and time can be found here.

Required
Materials

• CMU CS Academy, a browser-based platform which we will use extensively. We will email you with your account info.
• Python version 3.12, which can be freely downloaded from python.org. Note that Python 3.13 may not work properly with certain modules, including the CS Academy graphics package.
• We will also use apps and sites that use Brython, which is a version of Python that runs in web browsers.
• We may also use one or more free IDEs (code editors) and other free software packages.

Course
Requirements

• Attending and actively participating in all the lectures, recitations, and required events.
• Carefully reading the course notes and other assigned readings and completing checkpoints.
• Thoughtfully completing the homework assignments, and all other assigned work with earnest effort.
• Taking all the required quizzes and exams.

• You are responsible for all materials presented in lectures and recitations (and recordings will generally not be available).
• This includes important announcements that may be made only in lecture or recitation and not otherwise posted on Ed. You are responsible for these announcements even if you do not attend.
• Missed quizzes and exams may not be made up in general (though certain exceptions are permitted -- see the relevant sections below).

Grading

Assigned
Work

• Exercises assigned from CMU CS Academy
• Additional exercises not from CMU CS Academy

• No-Copying Rule
  At no time can you copy code from any source. We take this very broadly. Not only does this mean you cannot copy-paste code from anywhere, it also means that you cannot manually type code that you are looking at, nor can you manually type code that someone is telling you to type. In addition, you cannot copy code even if you then edit it, even a lot. You simply cannot copy code, full stop.


• 5-Minute Rule
  To help prevent code copying, we have a simple rule: any time you look at 5 or more lines of code (or pseudocode or anything code-like) that is not yours (and is not from the course website, CS Academy, or course faculty or staff), then you must wait 5 minutes before you can edit your own code. This is a simple rule that will prevent most cases of code copying.


• Debugging Rule
  You are allowed to help debug other students' code, and you are allowed to have other students help debug your code. However, all the rules above apply. You are allowed to make live edits with the debugging help of a friend. But you cannot copy code. And you must obey the 5-Minute Rule if you look at their code.


• Citation Rule
  While we are not requiring citations for allowed collaboration, you should know that citations are always a very good idea, and are very strongly encouraged. In professional settings, you are flatly required to cite any use of non-original code. At CMU, in any course (not just CS courses), properly cited collaboration cannot be considered an AIV. So it's just a very good practice. Cite your collaboration!


• Ask-First Rule
  If you are unsure about anything regarding any of these policies, it is always safe for you to ask about it on Ed-Discussion or in email or at faculty or TA office hours. We are happy to discuss anything, and there is no penalty for you asking for a clarification about any of these policies.

• AI Tools (like ChatGPT)
  Again, you are free to use AI tools (like ChatGPT), so long as you closely follow the rules above. However, to be clear:
  • Homework will be graded against the 112 style guide. AI tools often violate these rules. You should expect that code derived from AI tools would often receive very low style grades.
  • You also will not have access to AI tools on quizzes or exams.
  • If you rely too heavily on AI tools to complete your homework, you will not learn the material well. This will result in lower scores on quizzes and exams, and in an overall worse learning and grade outcome for you in the course.
  • The bottom line: while you may use AI tools, it is your responsibility to use them appropriately and effectively, and in a way that does not compromise your learning experience. If you are unsure if you are compromising your learning, it is best to simply avoid using them.
  
  
• CS Academy
  Homework exercises will be often be hosted in CMU CS Academy. A green checkmark next to a problem (in CS Academy) means it has autograded correctly and you are done. No green checkmark means it's not done yet. If you believe you should have received a green checkmark, be sure to review your work, and be sure that you hit the "check" button after the "run" button to submit it. The "check" button runs your code against additional hidden test cases which you must pass in order to receive credit. It's your responsibility to properly submit and be aware of whether you have received green-checkmark credit for your work! There is generally no partial credit for autograded problems.
  
  
• Homework Grading Deadline Policy
  Note: this policy replaces the old "Grace Days" policy. It is more liberal and easier to understand. Also, this policy only applies to homework, and not to projects, quizzes, or exams. The goal of this policy is to give you some flexibility with homework deadlines, while still keeping you on track.
  
  In general, hw is due on Saturday at 8pm. Soon after that time, typically on Saturday night (but perhaps on Sunday sometimes), we will run a preliminary homework grading script. This will give you feedback on which exercises you have not fully completed, and also on which style errors you may have to correct for full credit.
  
  2 days after the hw deadline -- so on Monday at 8pm (or soon after) -- we will re-run the homework grading script, only this time the results count. This gives you at least 36 hours (and sometimes a bit more) to fix any issues in the preliminary grading.
  
  One way to view this is that you have 2 "grace days" (that is, self-assigned extension days) built into every hw deadline. This is why we do not have grace days, and why we would only grant hw extensions in the most extreme cases. This policy is more generous and more flexible than traditional grace-day policies.
  
  To be clear: hw is truly due Saturday at 8pm and not Monday at 8pm. It is crucial that you plan accordingly, and do not come to rely on self-assigned extensions every week.
  
  Here are some advantages to completing your homework on time by the Saturday 8pm deadline:
  • You will have the most time available to fix style or other issues flagged by the preliminary grading script.
  • Office hours and Ed are staffed to optimize for the Sat 8pm deadline. OH will be very light on Sunday and Monday.
  • Non-hw questions (especially quiz-prep questions) will be given priority over hw questions in OH on Sunday and Monday.
  • The quiz prep sessions will be on Sunday and/or Monday, and you will get the most out of them if you finish your homework on time.
  For all these reasons, you really should get your homework done by the Saturday 8pm deadline.
  
  Important: if we see that you are abusing this privilege, and that you are basically using Monday 8pm as your routine homework deadline, then we will take corrective action, such as revoking this policy for you (so your final version of the homework is due Saturday at 8pm), or, in the worst cases, we may lower your semester grade due to inappropriate participation. Of course, nobody wants that, so please just use mature discretion and give yourself an occasional "grace day" or two as the exception not the rule.

Assessments

• There will be 2 midterm exams. You must take the exam in-person at your assigned lecture time. It is your responsiblity to be aware of these dates, and you should not schedule flights or other travel during the exam times.
• There will be a final exam at the end of the semester. It will cover all material present in 112 during this semester. We will notify you as soon as the University exam schedule is released. Until that time, do not schedule flights or other travel during the exam dates listed on the University calendar. That being said, if you do not take the final exam, then it will be dropped and not count towards your semester grade. This means you may opt out of the final exam if you wish.

Academic
Integrity

• Copying materials (from any source) in violation of the No-Copying Rule and/or the 5-Minute Rule.
• Posting homework, quiz, or exam problem statements or solutions online. This is strictly forbidden, regardless of if or how anyone potentially uses your posted problem statements or solutions. Do not post problem statements or solutions online.
  • In particular, this effectively disallows stackoverflow, chegg, github, and all other such sites that require that you post your question so others can see it, and also where answers to your questions may be visible to others. Do not use those sites. Besides, you have ready accesss to so many allowed resources (Ed, TA OH, Faculty OH, classmates, other CMU students, and more), so just use the allowed resources.
• Attempting to 'hack', decompile, disrupt, or misuse the autograder, testing environment, or course tools.
• Not securing access to your work, e.g., not having a password on your laptop where a roommate or friend could access your work without your knowledge.
• Answering in-class polls or forms when not physically present.
• Intentionally misrepresenting your work, your effort, your participation, or any other aspect of your involvement in the course, especially if this was intended to inflate your grade.

• Referring to any external resources (people, electronics, websites, notes, books, etc) while completing the assessment.
• Accessing or copying any part of an answer from another student's work, even if it is very small.
• Attempting to access any unreleased assessment outside of your assigned testing time, or outside of a secured testing environment, even if you have already taken it.
• Providing or receiving links/passwords/codes to quizzes, checks, exams, or other assessments to anyone else.
• Saving or copying any assessment materials so they are available outside of the online quiz/midterm/exam environment.
• Discussing any part of the assessment with anyone who hasn't taken it (or a very similar one) until we have released it publicly (including with non-112 students)
  • For example, taking a quiz and sending a message as simple as "I wish I hadn't spent so much time studying nested loops" (or some other topic) before the quiz is released
• Violating proctoring policies, like continuing to work on the assessment (even briefly) after the proctors announce the stop time, or falsifying/fabricating a tech fail.

• Receiving a 0 or -100 on the assignment or assessment
• Receiving a semester grade deduction, often a full-letter-grade
• Failing the course

Extensions
and
Excused
Absences

• Given the 2-day homework grading policy above, extensions on homeworks generally will not be granted. However, for truly extreme cases (such as long-term hospitalization), longer extensions may be granted, with the specific appropriate accommodation determined by course faculty in such cases.
• Extensions are not generally granted for quizzes. Instead:
  • For excused absences on quiz days, the student is entirely excused from that day's quiz, so the quiz does not factor into the student's semester grade.
  • For unexcused absences, the student receives a 0 on that quiz.
• Extensions may be granted for project deadlines, but only in extreme cases, such as missing several days due to an excused absence.
• Extensions may be granted for exams when there is a qualifying reason on the date of the exam (see below).
• See the Forms page for this semester's Extension Request Form.

• Serious Illness or Medical Emergencies.
• Family or Personal Emergencies.
• University-Related Absences. This includes multi-day athletic/academic trips organized by the university, in which case you may request an extension for the duration of the trip. Note that we will consider most job interview trips to fall in this category.
• One-Time Multi-Day University-Related Events. If you are deeply involved in an event involving some university-related club or organization that you are in, where it will take nearly all of your time over multiple days, and this is a one-time deal for the semester, then we will consider your request.
• Other Valid Reasons. There are too many to list here, of course, but other reasons include religious observations among others. If you are unsure, talk to the course faculty. We are here to help.

• Busy week (academically or otherwise)
• Computer or network issues
• Non-approved travel

Late Policy

• Homeworks
  See the Late Homework Policy above. Any homework exercises completed after the homework grading script is run (2 days after the hw deadline) will receive 0 points. Note that you can still complete the problem in CMU CS Academy, but it will not receive any points.
• Quizzes and Exams
  No late/make-up quizzes or exams will be administered, except in the cases covered under the Extensions policy. Approved missed quizzes will be excused. Approved missed exams will be taken at the earliest possible date as approved by course faculty.

Regrade Requests

• You cannot request a regrade request simply because you do not like your grade, or you think it should have been higher in general. Rather, regrade requests must include the specific grading error(s) that you believe you found.
• Regrade requests will result in the entire problem being regraded, not just the possibly-incorrectly-graded part. Thus, it is possible that your grade goes down as a result of a regrade.
• Regrade requests must be filed no later than one week after the grade has been released.

Formatting,
Syntax,
and Linter
Errors

Accommodations

Auditing

Diversity
and
Inclusion

• CMU is a community of brilliant people from all over the world, and it's easy to feel intimidated or like you don't belong. To varying degrees, we all struggle with these feelings. If you find yourself struggling, let us know and we will do our best to help you overcome self-doubt and find a path forward.
• We are always eager for new ideas and constructive feedback. If you would like to talk to someone about your experiences, we are eager to listen.
• We love helping students to explore and develop their strengths. If you would like advice for seeking new opportunities beyond 112, please come talk to us.

Devices
and
Recording

Well-being &
Happiness