SC212
– Explorations in Science Using Computers – Winter 2007
This course is approved as a
General Education Science sequence.
|
Instructor: |
Pete Nordquist |
|
Phone: |
552-6148 |
|
E-mail: |
|
|
Office: |
CS215 |
|
Office Hours: |
MWF 10-11, 12-1. If the door is open and I’m there, come on
in. |
|
Website: |
blackboard:
http://courses.sou.edu for grades and
exams |
The web site contains lab
assignments, class notes, demos, and other useful information.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday (??) 2 - 3
Thursday (PCW) 2
- 4
There is not a single text for the course.
Required readings are on the web. Links to these readings can be found in the
class schedule at ./schedule.html
Learn
to explore the physical world by using computers to detect, acquire, and
analyze information.
Learn to use scientific methods to conduct computer-based experiments,
visualize outcomes, and study physical phenomena.
Topics included: Networking, Linguistic applications,
Social simulation models, digital circuits
Course Grading
There will be one lab assignment given for each
week. Lab assignments are due by
Please come
to lab – it will help us all.
Lab scores are worth 25% of your total grade. In general, lab scores will fall on 5 point
boundaries, e.g.,
100
- your lab met all of the requirements.
95
- your lab failed the test for a minor requirement.
90
- your lab failed the test for a major requirement
80
- your lab failed the test for two major requirements
<=70
- your lab was not a credible effort at fulfilling the requirements
Late labs will receive a 5% late fee per
week. I.e., if you submit your lab
within one week of the due date, you will receive a 5% late fee; more than one
week late, but less than two weeks late, will earn you a 10% late fee; and so
on. I will grade your lab according to
the schedule given above then subtract late fee points.
There will be four exams
during the term. Your lowest exam score
will be thrown out. Make-up exams will
not be given unless arrangements are made in advance, or you had a bona fide
emergency on the day of the exam. Your
exam scores are worth 50% of your total grade.
There will be a
comprehensive final based on the exams and the topics covered in class. The final is worth 25% of your total grade.
Lab assignments
Unless otherwise indicated in the instructions for an
assignment, you are to work on your own. Copying answers or allowing someone to
copy from you is cheating and will be handled according to SOU policies.
Campus-wide student rights and responsibilities can be downloaded at www.sou.edu/studentaffairs/SOUhandbook.pdf.
Pay careful attention to the Academic
Policies Section, on page 16.
Blackboard
This course uses blackboard for exams and
grading. The blackboard site is http://courses.sou.edu.
Email
I expect that you read your student email every business day. I
send all kinds of class announcements by email and expect that you get these
announcements. I sometimes forget to make these announcements in class,
so email is the only way you have to get this information. (See http://gw.sou.edu/nims/options.shtml
for instructions on how to forward your student email to a different email
address.)
If you find you are having trouble with a concept, get sick the day of an exam,
or anything else that you think might affect your grade, send me email
explaining the problem as soon as you can (the earlier I receive the email, the
more likely I am to be lenient). Email gives us a starting point for
discussing a solution and an official timestamp that indicates when you first
took action to solve the problem.
If you are in need of support
because of a documented disability (whether it be learning, mobility,
psychiatric, health-related, or sensory) you may be eligible for academic or
other accommodations through Disability Services for Students.
Contact Theresa Lowrie,
Director, DSS, at lowriet@sou.edu;
or by calling 541-552-6213; or schedule an appointment in person at the
For Detailed Information: http://www.SOU.edu/Access/Dss