Syllabus for COS-241
Data Structures is a course in which you will discuss and experiment with many ways to manipulate data in the structures that exist in the programming language C++. Data structures are an important way of organizing information in a computer. Each data structure has unique properties that make it well suited to give a certain view of the data.
Please be aware that Data Structures is a challenging course. No basic C++ language is taught in this course, so you must know C++ programming language before you begin.
After completing this course, you should be able to:
You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.
Web resources are provided in each Module as a supplement to the reading assignments. They were selected because they provide more detail on the individual topics presented in the text. (Because someone will surely ask: No, information from these sites won't be on the exam!)
Feel free to explore these Web sites as time permits. If you get stuck on an assignment or need further clarification, check out the Web to see if these pages answer your question.
Finally, be sure to post any questions, comments on your readings, or additional helpful Web sites to the Class Lounge on the Discussion Board.
Data Structures is a three-credit online course, consisting of six (6) modules. Modules include an overview, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written activities, take two proctored online examinations—a midterm and a final, and complete a final project. See below for more details.
Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.
You are required to participate in seven (7) graded online discussions, each focusing on a different subject.
Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.
You are required to complete six (6) written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the courses modules.
Prepare written assignments that do not require code to be written using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name, course code, and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.
Most assignments in this course require that you write code. Submit these files directly from the C++ compiler in .cpp and .h source code file format.
Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.
You are required to take two (2) proctored online examinations: a midterm exam and a final exam. Both exams require that you use the College's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.
The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and consists of short essay, short answer, and objective questions. It covers Chapters 1–6 in the textbook (material from modules 1 through 3). To prepare for the exam you may want to complete items not assigned within the exercises at the ends of the chapters.
The final is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and consists of short essay, short answer, and objective questions. It covers Chapters 7–10 in the textbook (material from modules 4 through 6). To prepare for the exam you may want to complete items not assigned within the exercises at the ends of the chapters.
Statement about Cheating
You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
In addition to the written assignments, you are required to complete a programming project. You may work on the project throughout this semester, at your own pace. Because this program is large, it will be due near the end of the course.
Consult the course Calendar for the project due date.
GRADING AND EVALUATION
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All assignments will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
Students at Thomas Edison State College are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.
Thomas Edison State College expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the College insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:
Please refer to the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the College Catalog and online at www.tesc.edu.
Using someone else’s work as your own is plagiarism. Thomas Edison State College takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing will be severely penalized. If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > “Citing Sources.”)
Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.
Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.
Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.
For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance and originality report checking, click the links provided below.
Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism
When to Quote and When to Paraphrase
Writing Assistance at Smarthinking
Originality Report Checking at Turnitin
First-time incidents of academic dishonesty concerning plagiarism may reflect ignorance of appropriate citation requirements. Mentors will make a good faith effort to address all first-time offenses that occur in courses. In these cases, the mentor may impose sanctions that serve as a learning exercise for the offender. These may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool including a lower grade when appropriate. The mentor will notify the student by e-mail. Decisions about the sanctions applied for subsequent plagiarism offenses or other violations will be made by the appropriate dean’s office, with the advice of the mentor or staff person who reported the violation. The student will be notified via certified mail of the decision. Options for sanctions include:
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