Previous
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Current and previous versions of 15-112 (and older 15-110/15-100): F24, S24, F23, S23, S23-L3, F22, F22-L3, S22, F21, S21, F20, S20, F19, S19, F18, S18, F17, S17, F16, S16, F15, S15, F14, S14, F13, S13, F12, S12, F11, S11, F10, S10, F09, S09, F08, S08, F07 Previous Summers: N24, N23, N22, N21, M20, N19, M19, N18, M18, M12, APEA-09, APEA-08 |
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Waitlist |
If you are on the waitlist, we hope to eventually get you enrolled, typically in the first few weeks of the semester. Until then, you should participate fully as if you were enrolled. This includes but is not limited to: attending required events, filling out forms, completing assignments on time, and taking quizzes. If you were just added to a waitlist and you are not added to Piazza (the class Q&A forum) within 24 hours, please contact the course instructors via email. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Description |
A technical introduction to the fundamentals of programming with an emphasis
on producing clear, robust, and reasonably efficient code using top-down
design, informal analysis, and effective testing and debugging. Starting
from first principles, we will cover a large subset of the Python
programming language, including its standard libraries and programming
paradigms.
This course assumes no prior programming experience. Even so, it is a fast-paced and rigorous preparation for 15-122. Students seeking a more gentle introduction to computer science should consider first taking 15-110. NOTE: Undergraduate students must achieve a C or better in order to use this course to satisfy the pre-requisite for any subsequent Computer Science course. |
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Learning
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At the end of the course, students should be able to:
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Topic List |
See the topic list and schedule here (includes schedule, homeworks, quizzes, and exams). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule |
Important notes:
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Office Hours
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15-112 can be intense at times, but it is much more manageable if you use the course resources well. These resources include: Course Notes:
Large-Group Sessions:
Instructor Open Office Hours:
TA Office Hours:
Piazza (the class Q&A forum):
Instructor Private Meetings:
Student Academic Success Center:
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Required
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There is no required textbook for this course! We will primarily use the course notes on CMU CS Academy instead.
You should have a computer (ideally a laptop), however, it does not need to be new or powerful. We recommend an Apple or Windows laptop, though Linux will also work. On a Mac, upgrade your OS to macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later. Chromebooks may work on the CS Academy website, but may not work for creating graphical apps. Please contact us if you cannot reasonably access a computer. Every required software package we use is available for free on the web. This includes:
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Course |
Participation is required and includes:
Also, you must read all instructor Piazza (the class Q&A forum) posts promptly and carefully. You are responsible for knowing this information, including any changes or additions to policies, deadlines, etc. |
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Grading |
Midsemester and Semester grades will be assigned using a standard scale, as will each homework, quiz, midterm, term project, and final, as such: A: [90 - 100] B: [80 - 90) C: [70 - 80) D: [60 - 70) R: [0 - 60) Note that graduate students will be assigned +'s and -'s according to the following scale (generalized across letter grades): B-: [80-83) B: [83-87) B+: [87-90) By default, grades round up to the next letter (so 89.50 is an A, and 89.49 is a B). The course instructors may choose to change the scales at their discretion. You are guaranteed that your letter grade will never be lowered as a result of changing scales. Attendance and Participation Policy: As noted above, attendance and earnest participation are required. While not specifically included in the course components above, repeated violation of attendance and/or participation policies will result in a lower semester grade, up to and including course failure. Exam Policy: There are three (3) exams -- 2 midterms and 1 final. The lower midterm is half-weighted, and the final is optional. If you opt to take the final, then the final counts as much as the higher-weighted midterm |
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Assigned
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Reading and Checkpoints: Most weeks, in order to unlock the homework, you will have to carefully read the notes preceding the homework, and carefully complete all of the checkpoints in those notes. While Readings and Checkpoints are not specifically included in the semester grade computation, they are a prerequisite for completing the homework. Homework: Homework assignments are generally due Saturdays at 8pm, and may include exercises assigned on CMU CS Academy or on the 15-112 course website. The 112 Homework Collaboration Policy Note that this policy is only for homework, and not for the notes checkpoints, term project, quizzes, or exams. Except for exercises explicitly marked as "solo", all homework problems in this course can be completed according to this collaboration policy. To be clear, any exercise marked as "solo" must be completed 100% solo, without any help from anyone or any website or any AI tool (though even on solo exercises, students can always receive help from the course faculty and staff). That said, for all non-solo exercises, students may collaborate with each other, with others outside the course, and even with AI tools like ChatGPT, so long as no code is copied (as explained below, especially see the 5-Minute Rule). 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. 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 Piazza 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. Here are some other key points regarding homework:
The Term Project will be the last major course activity of the semester. You will design and build a program of your choice with the guidance of a mentor TA. More information can be found in the Term Project Assignment writeup, once it is released. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assessments |
Any content in the CMU CS Academy notes, on a homework, or covered in lecture, may appear on assessments.
Quizzes:
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Academic
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Philosophy: We begin by choosing to trust each of you individually. However, if you cheat, expect to be caught, and expect significant consequences. These rules are meant to convey the spirit of our academic integrity expectations. For example, when we say "do not copy" we always mean visually, verbally, electronically, or in any other way, even if you copy and modify it. We additionally require you to understand and uphold CMU's more general academic integrity standards. If you are unsure of something, just ask us beforehand. If you do this and strive to understand the intent of this policy and exercise common sense, you have nothing to worry about. Generally, examples of academic integrity violations include but are not limited to:
Note: if we offer a homework solution session, you may not turn in an assignment after attending/watching any part of its solution session, even with an extension or a late submission via grace days. When homework exercises are marked as "solo", then you must not collaborate or discuss them with anyone in any way. Note that 'anyone' includes but is not limited to other past, present, or future students, friends, parents, siblings, tutors, etc. Remember: you always have access to extensive help provided by the TAs and course faculty. We strongly encourage you to use this support! As for non-solo exercises, any violation of the No-Copying Rule, the 5-Minute Rule, or the Debugging Rule (see above) will be considered an Academic Integrity Violation. The consequences for this will be considerable, up to and including failing the course, and perhaps additional consequences at the university level. Before you might consider any such violation, we ask that you please consider:
Term Project: The term project writeup may allow for certain kinds of productive collaboration. Still, you will only be graded on your truly original contributions. Missing, inaccurate, or misleading citations on any assignment or deliverable may result in an academic integrity violation, regardless of intent. Assessments (Quizzes and Exams): Examples of cheating on assessments (Quizzes and Exams) include but are not limited to:
If you are repeating 112, your prior work in this course is treated just as anyone else's work. Consulting or copying your prior homework answers or term project solutions will only hurt your learning, and will be treated as an academic integrity violation. Plagiarism Detection: Programs are naturally structured, which makes them very easy to compare. Please be aware that we use several sophisticated tools to find code with a high probability of cheating, in addition to our own eyes and experience. It is futile to try to disguise code that you did not write, and these efforts may increase the severity of the violation. Penalties: Course penalties are decided by the course faculty, and vary based on the severity of the offense. Offenses can be severe even if the assignment/assessment is worth very few points (for example, cheating during a quiz or exam). The course penalty for violations will always be more severe than if you were to leave the associated item blank. Possible penalties include but are not limited to:
Honesty: To end this section on a more positive note, you should know that we put a high premium on honesty. If you get into an Academic Integrity situation, then the sooner and more completely you tell the entire truth, by far the better it is for you and for everyone else involved. The bottom line: If you regret a lapse in judgment, it is always better to let us know right away, to come clean, and be honest and truthful. You will feel better about it, as will we, and it will probably result in a better outcome for you as well. |
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Extensions |
Notes:
That said, here are the types of generally accepted reasons for approved extensions and excused absences.
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Late Policy |
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Regrade Requests |
We occasionally make mistakes while grading (we're only human!). If you believe that you found a mistake that you would like us to correct, please submit a regrade request using instructions found on a relevant Piazza post.
Notes:
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Formatting, |
Misformatted assignments or code with syntax or linter errors, in general, cannot be graded by our autograder, and will typically receive a zero. Therefore, be sure to test your homework early, and thoroughly read any autograded feedback to be sure you are getting the score you expected. If you must upload a file to Gradescope or any other system, it is also your responsibility to check that you successfully submitted the file you intended. (Note: Any manually-graded problems will not have a score immediately.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Accommodations |
We gladly accommodate students with disability-related needs (as approved by the Office of Disability Resources (ODR), as explained here). If you are eligible for accommodations, please ensure that the Office of Disability Resources has sent us your Summary of Accommodations Memorandum within the first week or two of class. We will contact you within a few days of receiving this form with any relevant instructions for using your accommodations in 15-112. Please note: At the guidance of the University, we can only provide disability-related accommodations which have been explicitly approved by ODR and are on the most recent Summary of Accommodations Memorandum we have received. If you require accommodations that have not been approved by ODR, you should contact them as soon as possible. Also according to University guidance, we cannot retroactively apply your accommodations if we receive them from ODR later in the semester (for example, a modification on an assignment due before we received official approval of your accommodations). Extended Time: students who receive Office of Disability Resources (ODR) approved extended-time on assessments will be proctored by ODR's testing center. The course faculty will email you with instructions for scheduling your assessments during Week 1, or upon receipt of your memorandum. ODR requires you to schedule extra-time assessments at least five days in advance. Many students find it helpful to schedule all of their quizzes and exams at the beginning of the semester. Extra-time assessments must take place on the same day as the in-class assessment unless otherwise approved by the course faculty. Important: to use extra time, you must sign up for a proctoring time outside of lecture with ODR, and not the normal-duration quiz or exam. You do have the option of attending the normal-duration quiz or exam, but then you will have to complete it in the assigned time (without extended time). If you plan to take an extended-time quiz, you do not need to be present in lecture until the standard-time quiz is over (usually in the first 20-25 minutes) We are here to help. If you have any questions or concerns relating to 15-112 and how we can best accommodate, please contact the course instructors and we will work together for your success. |
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Auditing |
We have found that students who audit 15-112 do not tend to succeed, as they generally cannot dedicate the requisite time and focused discipline to the course. We must also strictly limit in-person events to ensure that we do not violate room capacities. Therefore, auditing will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances and must be approved by the course instructors first. Rather than auditing, in some cases you may take the course as Pass/Fail instead, which can be a better option in some cases (say, for graduate students who want to learn how to program but already have an over-full load of graduate courses). Note: you may not take the course Pass/Fail if you plan to use 15-112 as a prereq. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Diversity |
It is our intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course, that students' learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. It is our intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Whether in education or industry, inclusive representation creates richer experiences and equips us to solve new and exciting challenges. As we begin the semester, we want you to know:
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Recording |
Students may not record audio or video of lectures or recitations
or any other faculty-led or TA-led course events (online or in-person)
without explicit permission in writing from the instructor or the TA
in the instructor's absence. Exceptions will be granted in accordance with
university guidelines for accessibility concerns, but even then such recordings
may not be shared publicly or privately.
Camera policy: Hopefully, we stay in-person and don't need this policy, however... We request that you keep your camera on during any remote events, as this will provide the best learning experience for you and your classmates. We suggest you use a virtual background if you are uncomfortable with your environment being visible to others. You may alternatively use a face-tracking virtual avatar if you wish, like those available through loom.ai, etc. That being said, if you have accessibility or equity concerns that are not solved by either of these solutions, please let us know. For 1-on-1 meetings, assessment proctoring, or group events of 5 or fewer people, we do require your camera to be on unless you have approval from the attending TA or the course faculty. |
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Well-being & |
We care very much about your well-being and
happiness. CMU students (and faculty) work very hard, but we must keep our balance and always attend to our well-being and happiness first. Achieving a better grade is almost never a matter of putting in more time!
So be sure to get enough sleep, eat
right, exercise regularly, and attend to your well-being and happiness.
Also, please know that we do care about you and take your well-being seriously. We want to help you learn while minimizing stress. Meeting the learning goals of 15-112 necessitates significant effort and a fast pace, but do not fall into the trap of working endlessly, as this will only reduce your efficiency (and more importantly, your happiness and well-being). It is not necessary, expected, or something to be proud of. We can help you improve your efficiency and work less, not more. We also seek to minimize the workload as much as is possible, while still meeting the learning goals of the course. Finally, if you are feeling overly stressed, anxious, or unhappy about your performance or your general experience in this course: please come talk to us. We will listen. We are here for you and we will try to help. Addendum: Here is a great summary of many CMU Student Support Services. |