ECS15 Xin Liu

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ECS 15Introduction to computers

Fall 2014

Prof. Xin Liu

www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu/ECS15/F14/15.htm

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Notetaker needed• Contact the Student Disability Center at 

sdc@ucdavis.edu. 

• Notetakers are paid a stipend of $25 per unit,

ECS15 Xin Liu

ECS15 Xin Liu

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Class Schedule• prerequisites: None.

• Class: MWF 10:00a.m.-10:50a.m.;

• Labs: • A01 M 12:10p-3:00p; 2020 SLB • A02 M 3:10 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.; 2020 SLB • A03 W 1:10p.m.- 4 p.m.; 2020 SLB • A04 F 2:10 p.m.- 5 p.m.; 2020 SLB • Additional Lab hour: M 12:10-3 2060 SciLab (No TA)

• Is there a lab session today? • Can I go to a different lab?

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Highlights• Instructor: Prof. Xin Liu

– www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu• Instructor office hour:

– M 11a.m.-2:00p.m. at 3013 Kemper Hall– Extra office hours announced when necessary

• TAs: – Gabriel Castillo Cortes at gcastillo@ucdavis.edu – Huaguang (Chad) Song at hso@ucdavis.edu – Sharmin Jalal at sjalal@ucdavis.edu

• TA office hour and location– same as the lab sessions

• Reader (for the term paper):– William Dyer at wdyer@ucdavis.edu  

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Class material• Optional Textbooks

– Michael Dawson, Python programming for the absolute beginner, 2nd edition, Thomson Course Technology, ISBN: 1-59863-112-8.

– Spraul, V. Anton, Computer Science Made Simple, Broadway Books, 2005, ISBN: 0-7679-1707-3.

– Brain Kernighan, D is for Digital, ISBN: 1-4637-338-95• Class website:

– www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu/ECS15/F14/15.htm– Check for notes– Notes and useful information links will be posted and updated.– Why some notes/assignments are not accessible (yet)?

• Announcement:– Emailed to the mailing list

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Where is everything?• Syllabus, notes, assignments

– http://web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu/ECS15/F14/15.htm  • Discussion, questions/answers

– https://piazza.com/ucdavis/fall2014/ecs15/home – Sign up! 

• Assignment hand-in and grades– Smartsite

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Please• Pay attention to announcement in your

email• Sign up Piazza

– Sign up link in your email

ECS15 Xin Liu

ECS15 Xin Liu

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Road Map• Computers (3-4 weeks)

– Hardware: motherboard, processor, memory, I/O devices, etc.– Software and application:– Graphics: image, video, 2D, 3D, game, – History and ethics

• Python Programming (3-4 weeks) – Getting started – Basic concepts: type, variable, I/O– Loops: while, for, if

• The Internet (2-3 weeks)– Layered architecture, web, email, p2p, etc.– LAN, WiFi, cellular– Security and privacy– Search (do you google?)

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Why does this help?• Computer Literacy• Basic knowledge of computers

– Understand basic hardware/software components

– Order a computer– Configure your wireless router

• Basic understanding of software tools– Word process, ppt, excel, access, etc.– How to use them to your benefits– How to learn new tools

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Why does this help?• Internet drastically changes the world

– Business, work, social, life, family, shopping, entertainment, etc.

• What do these things mean?– Wikipedia, Web 2.0, Long tail

• Internet is reaching beyond PCs• Security and privacy

– IRS sending you an email? – Are you anonymous on the Internet?– How to keep yourself safe?

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Are you anonymous on the Internet?

The above cartoon by Peter Steiner has been reproduced from The New Yorker, (Vol.69 (LXIX) no. 20) only for academic discussion.

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Why Programming• What is a program? • You can handle little problems yourself• You know when you hire someone how big

a job it is (like going to a mechanic)• You have some idea of what is possible. • A good programmer has more job options

(you’ll need more than this one class, though)

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Why Python?• Useful and popular

– Great for interfacing one program to another– Widely used in industry –Google, ILM,

NASA….• Free• Easy to get started with

– Lots of “libraries” (add-ons) that do things like sound editing, computational biology, Web database access…..

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Other options• ECS 10: Programming in Python

– You will get full credit (after taking ECS 15)– GE class

• ECS 30: More intensive class for those with some programming experience (basic, c, java), learn C++, required for ECS majors.

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Class Policy• All lab assignments require individual efforts. Discussions are allowed,

copying NOT. • Late policy

– Full credit if on time– 50% if within 24 hours– 0 after 24 hours

• Regrading Policy – One week regrading period after grades returned to students

• Incomplete will not be granted– Unless proved emergency with filled emergency form

• Academic Integrity– Writing, commercial software for checking plagiarism – Lab assignments

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Email• Please include “ECS 15” in your subject

line, to me and to TAs.• Why? • One day response, TA/reader, myself.• If your requests not responded, let me

know.

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Email etiquettes> R U handing back midterms Th?

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EmailHi Gary, This is Shareen, from your Thursday discussion

section. I was wondering if you are going to be handing back the midterms this week?

Thanks, Shareen

It is also best to address your email to one person, possibly cc to others.

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Where to get help• Course and term-paper related:

–  https://piazza.com/ucdavis/fall2014/ecs15/home

• Lab related: – go to your labs sessions (highly recommended) or

Piazza.• Term paper grading related:

– William Dyer at wdyer@ucdavis.edu  • Lab grading related:

– send to the grading TA of that lab• Others:

– Email one of the first two TAs or the instructor.

ECS15 Xin Liu

ECS15 Xin Liu

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Grading• Grading

– Term paper (20%)• Computer in an area of your interest

– Lab assignments (35%)• 9 small projects (basic computer skills, basic programming)• No homework

– Midterm 20% (one mid-term)• Close book, one sheet of notes allowed• In class

– Final 25%• Close book, one sheet of notes allowed

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Good Grade Guideline• Computers are rational

– Understand, not memorize• Active classroom participation• Do your own assignments

– Help you understand – Help you do well in exams– Help you in your later studies– Projects and term paper are “easy” grades.

• Sufficient time, sufficient help• Follow the lecture and notes• Final review

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First Quarter Here?• College is different, for most, very different• First year, and for some, second year, can

be very challenging• Course work and extra curriculum activities• A lot of freedom, independence, and

responsibilities• Growth is when one overcomes challenges.

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Growth Mindset• Test your mindset: Intelligence is something about

a person that he/she can’t change very much.– Strongly agree to strongly disagree

• Fixed mindset vs. growth mindset• Can one learn to be good at computers?

– Yes, absolutely.– And yes, absolutely worth your time and effort

• Google “growth mindset” for more information.

ECS15 Xin Liu

ECS15 Xin Liu

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Lab Session• Go to your registered Lab session if possible.• Priority goes to students registered in the lab session• TAs will be there the whole time to help you.• Joint with TAs’ office hours• Yes, you can go and ask any question related to the class. • Please let the TAs talk about the lab assignment first. • Lab assignments are posted two weeks in advance• All due on Friday 6pm, on smartsite• Grades posted one week after due date. • Please check your grade and TA comments (if any).

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Computer Labs• We have two computer labs you can use

– SLB 2020 (where your lab sessions are)– Sometimes used by other classes– M 12:10-3 2060 SciLab

• Of course, you can also do everything on your own computer

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Lab Assignments• Advanced Word, due on Friday, Oct. 17• Excel (I), due on Friday, Oct. 24• Excel (II), due on Friday, Oct. 31• Browsing the Internet, due on Friday, Nov. 7• Starting Python, due on Friday, Nov. 14• Jeopardy, due on Friday, Nov. 21• Wheel of Fortune, due on Monday, Dec. 1• Create your webpage, due on Friday, Dec. 5• TBD, due on Friday, Dec. 12

• Sequence may change

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Lab Assignments• I may change sequence to better coordinate with

classroom material• 1 lab assignment per week• Assignments posted

– You can go to your lab sessions at least twice.• Do not be afraid to ask for help!• We are here to help. • Computer related questions are much easier to be

answered when demonstrated. • Google.

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Term paper• 20% of the total grade• Credit for writing • ~2500 words (around 10 pages)• A research paper on a topic related to computers

that interests you• An opportunity to learn some detailed information

and how they are used in some area of interest to you.

• Lecture on writing the term paper• Start early!

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Steps• Introduction & Prospectus Due Friday, Oct. 24• Progress Report Due Friday, Nov. 7• Draft Due Friday, Nov. 21• The paper itself Due Friday, Dec. 5• All due at 6pm• Hard copy samples available for viewing

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Topics• Check a list of potential topics at the class website• computers in education

– for teaching reading – for teaching music

• computers in biology – bioinformatics – computational biology

• computers in art, architecture, and design – computer-generated and computer-supported art – computer-aided design

• digital libraries – legal issues (e.g., intellectual property)

• music on the Internet – legal issues and debates – technologies

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Topics• Internet on entertainment

– P2p file sharing– Video-on-demand

• Netflix’s video-streaming service• $1.99 TV show downloads from Amazon/iTune

– E-books• Amazon’s Kindle and $9.99 book offering

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Topics• Social networking websites and their

impacts• Online advertising

– Google? • Security and privacy

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Topics• computer and/or Internet addiction • failures regarding computers in schools • famous computer viruses and "worms" • "computer illiteracy" or lack of access to

computers as a problem in society • Digital divide

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Again• Projects and term paper are good for your

grades. • Plan early. • Do them well.

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Last slide• I am constantly looking for ways to make this

class better, more useful, more fun• All comments/suggestions welcome.• Anonymous if you like.

• http://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~liu/ECS15/F14/15.htm– How do you find it?

• Questions?