The study guide for the final exam is available. The final is scheduled for Saturday, May 7th 2-5pm in SCI 101.
Welcome to CS21B. This course will introduce fundamental ideas in computer science and teach you how to write computer programs while exposing you to some applications in biology. We will study algorithms for solving problems and implement solutions in the Python programming language. Python is an interpreted language that is known for its ease of use. We also introduce object-oriented programming and data structures. A deeper coverage of these topics is presented in CS 35.
This course is appropriate for all students who want to learn how to write computer programs and think like computer scientists. It is also one of the usual first courses for computer science majors and minors. Students with advanced placement credit or extensive programming experience should place out of this course and instead begin with CS33 or CS35.
Kaz Uyehara, Biology Major '10
This class was a a great
opportunity to learn a programming language and actively connect
programming with biological topics. Computer programs are now a
necessity in many fields of biology and this introductory class has
given me the background to understand when a well written program
could make certain tasks more efficient, how to tweak existing
programs to my specific needs, and how to solve problems by creating
my own programs. I am already thinking about using python programs in
the 9th grade science course that I teach and even in my biodiversity
research.
Seth Donoughe, Biology Major '08
I wish I had taken more CS classes at Swat when I had the chance, but
even what I learned in the intro class has proven to be really useful.
I've been able to write python programs designed specifically to help
me to transform and analyze data that I gather in experiments, in the
process saving me from loads of tedious work and enabling me to be
more creative in how I extract meaningful results from big datasets.
On a broader level, learning the basics of how to program has been
quite helpful in two ways. 1) I can apply it to other areas with
simple languages (e.g. writing macros for ImageJ or Excel --- both of
which are very commonly used in bio labs), and 2) Now I'm no longer
utterly bewildered and intimidated when it comes to programming ---
meaning that picking up a new programming language at least seems
plausible.
By the end of the course, we hope that you will have developed the following skills:
Student Support Coordinator: Betsy Horner (Office: Science Center 257, Phone: 6062)
Ninjas (student mentors): Jonathan Gluck and Frank Chien will be specifically assigned to our class (CS21B) and will be most able to help you with our labs. Other ninjas, helping with all sections of CS21, include: Ashley Oudenne, Haley Most, Brandon Snuggs, Amanda Morrison, Emily Dolson, and Josh Bloom. These student mentors can help explain general programming concepts and assist you in studying for quizzes.
The CS Ninjas will assist me in
class and run study sessions on
the following evenings:
Day | Time | Location |
Sunday | 7-9pm | For CS21B Sci Center 256 |
Wednesday | 7-9pm | Sci Center 240 |
You are invited -- and encouraged -- to participate in these study sessions to prepare for quizzes, to discuss programming concepts, and to get friendly assistance in working on homework assignments. Our CS mentoring team is dedicated to helping students, who have no prior knowledge of computer science, learn to program in Python while keeping their senses of humor intact. As an added bonus, free food will be provided at the sessions.
CS21B will have a lab session every Friday in SCI 256 from 2:00-3:30. You are required to attend this lab section. Please contact me in advance if you are unable to attend lab.
In addition, the CS lab (SCI 240) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for you to use to work on your lab assignments.
Contact Tracey Rush at the Dean's office and follow these steps for obtaining accommodations.
40% | Homework assignments |
30% | Quizzes (there will be 6 quizzes, see schedule for dates) |
5% | Class Participation |
25% | Final Exam |
Programming assignments will be introduced in lab on Fridays and will be due before midnight the following Tuesday night. You are strongly encouraged to start early and to attend the study sessions for extra practice.
You will submit you assignments electronically using the handin21b program. You may submit your assignment multiple times, but each submission overwrites the previous one and only the final submission will be graded. Late assignments will not be accepted except in extreme situations and only if you contact me before the deadline. Even if you do not fully complete an assignment, you should submit what you have done to receive partial credit.
Programming is not a dry mechanical process, but a form of art. Well written code has an aesthetic appeal while poor form can make other programmers and instructors cringe. Programming assignments will be graded based on style and correctness. Good programming practices usually include many of the following principles:
Academic honesty is required in all work you submit to be graded. With the exception of your lab partner on lab assignments, you may not submit work done with (or by) someone else, or examine or use work done by others to complete your own work. Your code should never be shared with anyone; you may not examine or use code belonging to someone else, nor may you let anyone else look at or make a copy of your code. This includes sharing solutions after the due date of the assignment.
All code you submit must be your own with the following permissible exceptions: code distributed in class, code found in the course text book, and code worked on with an assigned partner. In these cases, you should always include detailed comments that indicates on which parts of the assignment you received help, and what your sources were.
Discussing ideas and approaches to problems with others on a general level is fine (in fact, we encourage you to discuss general strategies with each other), but you should never read anyone else's code or let anyone else read your code. You may discuss assignment specifications and requirements with others in the class to be sure you understand the problem. In addition, you are allowed to work with others to help learn the course material. However, with the exception of your lab partner, you may not work with others on your assignments in any capacity.
``It is the opinion of the faculty that for an intentional first offense, failure in the course is normally appropriate. Suspension for a semester or deprivation of the degree in that year may also be appropriate when warranted by the seriousness of the offense.'' - Swarthmore College Bulletin (2008-2009, Section 7.1.2)
Please see me if there are any questions about what is permissible.
WEEK | DAY | ANNOUNCEMENTS | TOPIC & READING | LABS |
1 | Jan 18 | Intro to Python and Unix Zelle chapters 1-2 Notes on Using Emacs |
Lab0: Unix & Emacs Lab1: First Programs |
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Jan 20 | ||||
2 | Jan 25 | Numbers and Strings Zelle chapters 3-4 |
Lab2: Translation | |
Jan 27 | Quiz 1 Quiz 1 Study Guide Drop/Add ends (Jan 28) |
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3 | Feb 01 | Booleans Zelle chapter 7 and pg. 247 |
Lab3: Transcription, open reading frames | |
Feb 03 | ||||
4 | Feb 08 | Graphics, Objects Zelle chapter 5 (skip 5.5-5.6) Notes on the Graphics Library |
Lab4: Genotype to Phenotype mapping | |
Feb 10 | Quiz 2 Quiz 2 Study Guide |
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5 | Feb 15 | Functions, Objects Zelle chapter 6 |
Lab5: Evolving Faces | |
Feb 17 | ||||
6 | Feb 22 | while Loops, More Functions Zelle chapter 8 |
Lab6: Population genetics | |
Feb 24 | Quiz 3 Quiz 3 Study Guide |
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7 | Mar 01 | Top Down Design, File I/O Zelle chapter 9, section 4.6 |
None | |
Mar 03 | ||||
Mar 08 |
Spring Break |
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Mar 10 |
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8 | Mar 15 | Searching, Analysis of Algorithms Zelle section 13.1 |
Lab7: Protein alignment | |
Mar 17 | Quiz 4 Quiz 4 Study Guide |
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9 | Mar 22 | Sorting, Analysis of Algorithms Zelle sections 13.2-13.3 |
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Mar 24 | Last day to declare CR/NC or W (Mar 25) | |||
10 | Mar 29 | Recursion Zelle sections 13.1-13.3 |
Lab8: Creating fractal images | |
Mar 31 | ||||
11 | Apr 05 | Defining new classes Zelle chapter 10 |
Lab9: Simulating diffusion | |
Apr 07 | Quiz 5 Quiz 5 Study Guide |
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12 | Apr 12 | Object Oriented Design Zelle chapter 12 |
Lab10: 2D Modeling | |
Apr 14 | ||||
13 | Apr 19 | Linked lists |
Lab11: Game of Life | |
Apr 21 | Quiz 6 Quiz 6 Study Guide |
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14 | Apr 26 | Advanced Topics, Wrap-up | ||
Apr 28 | ||||
May 07 |
Final Exam 2-5pm Sci 101 |